


Live and let Love

by best_worst_thing



Series: The Lives We Lead [2]
Category: Fall Out Boy, Pete Wentz and His Humans
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Healing, Love, Smut, Weddings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-11
Updated: 2019-01-30
Packaged: 2019-05-20 19:36:21
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 22
Words: 35,761
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14900687
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/best_worst_thing/pseuds/best_worst_thing
Summary: A continuation of my Pete Wentz and Danni William's story.  Did she say yes??





	1. Chapter 1

**August 16 2018**

 

Stepping into the arrivals lounge at Auckland International feels surreal.  My five week holiday had all but doubled and my life had changed in ways I never expected, some good, some bad, very bad.  I'd always planned on returning to the country I'd called home for most of my life, but there had been a period of time, especially over the past month, where I didn't think it was ever going to happen.

 

After the incident, as I was calling it, I could barely leave the bed, let alone think about getting on a twelve hour flight, and definitely not alone.  But I had. I was home, if only for a short time. And I was alone, at least in the physical sense, maybe a little in the emotional sense too. This was a huge step, being on my own for an extended period of time, but something I felt I needed to do.  I didn't like feeling so codependent on another person, regardless of the circumstances. It had been a really difficult few weeks not being able to be on my own for more than a couple hours without having a blinding panic attack.

 

Therapy has been a huge resource lately.  It's helped me to at least begin to deal with the incident.  I'm having fewer panic attacks, and when I do, I'm more capable of bringing myself out of them.  I've learned what my triggers are and ways to cope if I know I'm going to be around one of them. I'm still taking medication, still feeling that fog most of the time, but able to function.  I don't always want to live in the fog, but for now the medication is serving an important purpose, curbing my crippling anxiety.

 

But the biggest help? Well, that's easy.  Pete.

 

I feel a smile creep up when I think of him.  I feel a weight on my left hand, one I'm still not used to.  I bring my hand up and inspect the gorgeous ring. It's platinum with a 1 carat, round cut, blue diamond at the centre.  The band splits and curves into two smaller bands. On half of the split on both sides, a row of smaller white diamonds runs from the main stone to the juncture of the split.  It's a gorgeous ring.

 

I've only had it for two weeks, so I'm still mesmerized by it, not that I expect that feeling to ever disappear.  Pete had finally convinced me to get a metal allergy test, to find something I wouldn't react to. In the end, platinum, palladium, and titanium had been the only metals that hadn't caused a reaction.  With that information at hand, Pete had ordered a custom engagement ring for me. The most amazing thing about the ring wasn't the giant blue diamond, nor the sheer number of smaller white diamonds. It wasn't the clarity, or the style.  It was the inscription on the inside.

 

‘You are my wristband.’

 

To most people, a weird, possibly possessive inscription.  To me, absolutely beautiful. A play on the lyrics to Heavens Gate.  For Pete, I am his ticket to heaven, and him for me. I still get misty eyed every time I remember those words or hear the song.  

 

I get out of my head long enough to collect my bags and make my way to the domestic terminal and recheck my bags.  I was heading to Hamilton for a few days, staying with Sarah and Ben, who’d been back from their honeymoon for a week.  After that I was heading to Blenheim. To Christian. To finalize our separation, sell my stuff, and finally, completely break away.  I wouldn't be staying with him, but I would be seeing him for the first time since I ended our engagement. I didn't expect him to be thrilled by my current relationship status.  Even I could admit that it was fast, crazy fast, but it felt right, and at the end of the day, it wasn't his concern anymore.

 

I planned to spend four weeks in Blenheim, knowing that it would be likely to spike my anxiety.  I would then stay with my parents for three weeks, before getting back on a plane and moving to Los Angeles in mid October.  A quick turn around for sure, but I didn't want to take longer than necessary to move onto my new life, plus I knew that I'd be missing Pete too much if I stayed longer.  He was going to be busy on tour, but I was going to go to a few stops with the band when I returned.

 

I was making my way to a cafe for some breakfast when I remembered to turn my phone on.  My phone vibrated like crazy, letting me know I had a handful of texts. Two from Sarah, all excited that I was back.  One from my mom asking me to call her when I got in and two from Pete. One was from nearly twelve hours earlier, just after I switched my phone off.

 

_From- The Light In My Darkness_

_Have a safe flight princess. Let me know when you land. The moon and stars, the universe itself, cannot hope to compare to your beauty, nor can it encompass all the love I have for you. Xoxo Pete._

 

The beauty of his words closed my throat with emotion and my eyes began to cloud over with unshed tears.  I would never tire of his romanticism. The next text was just as beautiful.

 

_From- The Light In My Darkness_

_I hope you have made it safely, please call me. I miss you.  A thousand fires could not burn brighter than my love for you.  Xoxo Pete._

 

The tears rolled down my cheeks, dripping from my chin.  I grabbed a handful of napkins from my table and wiped them away.  If not for the smile I was wearing, you'd think I'd just received bad news.  Even with my medication, my emotions were intense, all over the board, but real.  I was utterly in love.

 

After five minutes I had myself under control.  I sent a quick text to Pete so he wouldn't worry.

 

_To- The Light In My Darkness_

_Here and safe.  Calling mom, will call you soon.  My heart calls for you every second we're apart.  Xoxo Danni._

 

“Danni!  You made it!  How was the flight?  Do you have a long wait?  When will you be here?”

 

“Hi mom,” I chuckled, “yeah I'm here.  Flight was great, first class is amazing.  I've got a couple hours to wait. I told you, I'll be there mid September.”

 

“Oh la-de-dah first class.  I know, I just hoped maybe it'd be sooner.  I miss you.”

 

“I miss you too mom, but there's things I have to do first, and besides, I'll be with you for three weeks, you'll be sick of me by the time I leave.”

 

“Probably, but that's not the point.  I miss you and I love you and we have a _lot_ to catch up on.”

 

“I love you too mom and I know we do, and we will.”

 

“Good.  Well I'm sure you need to call Pete so I won't hold you up.  Say hi to Sarah and Ben when you get there. Call you in a couple days.”

 

“I will mom.  Bye.”

 

“Bye honey.”

 

I ended the call and immediately dialed Pete.

 

“Hey princess.”

 

“Hey.”

 

“I miss you.”

 

“I miss you too babe, more than I expected.”

 

“Me too. So the flight was good?”

 

“The flight was excellent.  A girl could certainly get used to first class,” I laughed.

 

“I'm glad, and yeah, first class is pretty amazing, you'll never fly economy again.”

 

“Oh is that right?” I teased.

 

“Not if I have any say.”

 

“So it's first class or nothing huh?”

 

“Absolutely, only the best for my fiance.”

 

“Say it again,” I asked.

 

“Only the best for my _fiance,_ ” he repeated.

 

“I like the way that sounds.”

 

“Me too,” I could hear the smile in his voice and knew it mirrored my own.

 

“It's going to be a long seven weeks.”

 

“It really is, just don't go forgetting about me.”

 

“I could never, and would never do that.”

 

“Good because there won't be a moment that you aren't on my mind.”

 

“I love you,” I all but whispered, feeling emotional again.

 

“I love you too.”

 

“I'd better let you go, but I'll text you when I'm at Sarah's place.”

 

“Okay.  Be safe.”

 

“You too.”

 

“Bye Pete.”

 

“Bye Danni.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry for the delay, I've had a crazy couple weeks with family etc. But I am trying to get back to regular weekly updates! I love you all and thanks for sticking with me!

“DANNI!”

 

“SARAH!”

 

We rushed at each other as if it had been years, not weeks, since we'd seen each other.   We embraced tightly, smiling, laughing, crying, and generally making a scene.

 

“Hey Danni,” Ben gave me a quick hug after Sarah and I finally parted.

 

“Hey Ben.  How's married life treating you?”

 

“I'm seriously having second thoughts,” he joked.

 

“Too late for that.  You already married me,” Sarah poked her tongue at him.

 

“I must've been temporarily insane.”

 

“Probably, but that's not a plausible reason to file for divorce,” she shrugged.

 

“Dammit.”

 

“Good to see marriage hasn't softened either of you yet,” I laughed.

 

“I doubt it will,” Sarah replied, “now.  SHOW ME THE RING!”

 

I dutifully held out my left hand for her to inspect and she let out an appreciative whistle.

 

“Holy crap that's huge!  And GORGEOUS!”

 

“Yeah, he has good taste.”

 

Sarah gave me a skeptical look.

 

“He does! At least in jewelry.”

 

“Yeah cause his fashion sense leaves a little to be desired,” Ben replied.

 

“Some of the stuff he wears..jeez.  And some of those hairstyles.”

 

“Oh trust me I know, but he likes unique things.  Do I love it all? No. But it's him and I love him, so I wouldn't change it.”

 

“The ring is perfect Danni and so is Pete.  I think he's your soulmate.”

 

“I do too.”

 

“And how are you doing?  After...you know?”

 

I let out a breath.

 

“Honestly? Better than expected but not..great.”

 

“Yeah,” for once Sarah was at a loss for words.  She wrapped her arms around me, providing comfort, love, and support.

 

“Thanks,” I whispered, voice thick with unshed tears.

 

“Come on, let's head home.”

 

“Yeah, I could use a shower.  And maybe a nap,” I replied.

 

“I wasn't gonna say anything but, yeah good idea,” Sarah teased, instantly lightening the mood.

 

“Hey I've been stuck on a plane for more than 13 hours!  Cut me some slack!”

 

“Excuses, excuses.”

 

I rolled my eyes at her as we linked arms, following Ben out of the airport.

 

The twenty minute drive was spent talking about the honeymoon and everything Ben and Sarah had done while there, including some interesting sexcapades.

 

“Wait!  So you two,” I motioned between them, “got down and dirty on a hike?!  First, why were you hiking anyway. Second, how did you not get caught?”

 

“Ben forced me to exercise out of the bedroom a few times, he needs outdoors time, apparently.  That was the exciting part, almost getting caught. It was exhilarating!”

 

“I like hiking,” Ben shrugged.

 

“If I'd known what would happen, I’d’ve come hiking with you years ago,” Sarah said with heat in her voice.

 

“Please don't have sex in front of me,” I groaned, “I know we're close, but there’s a line.”

 

“Babe, you know we crossed that line years ago,” Sarah giggled.

 

“We were horny teenagers.  We're both adults now, having sex in the same room, or car, just feels weird.”

 

“Oh you're no fun!  Just because you've got weeks of celibacy ahead of you, doesn't mean I do.”

 

“We’re here,” Ben announced before I had a chance to reply.

 

I dashed from the car, popping the trunk and getting my stuff.  If they were about to fuck in the car, I wanted to be out of earshot, and eyeshot.

 

Sure enough, when I looked towards the windshield, I could see Ben’s head against the headrest, but Sarah’s had disappeared.

 

I closed the trunk, ditched my bags by the door and walked up the street towards the park around the corner.

 

_To- The Light In My Darkness_

_Missing you xoxo_

 

The reply came almost instantly.

 

_From- The Light In My Darkness_

_Missing you too xoxo_

_You at Sarah's?_

 

_To- The Light In My Darkness_

_Not exactly_

 

_From- The Light In My Darkness_

_What? Where are you?_

 

_To- The Light In My Darkness_

_The park near the house...things were getting…_

 

_From- The Light In My Darkness_

_???_

 

_To- The Light In My Darkness_

_Intimate_

 

My phone started ring seconds later.  I smiled as I answered.

 

“When you say intimate, do you mean..”

 

“Last I saw, Sarah was giving Ben a blowjob in the front seat of the car,” I replied.

 

Pete started laughing.

 

“It's not funny!  I'm traumatized!”

 

“I'm sorry baby, but it is kinda funny.”

 

I couldn't help but crack a smile, it was kinda funny.

 

“Stupid newlyweds,” I murmured.

 

“Are you actually grossed out or is it because you know we aren't able to do the same for awhile?”

 

“You sound just like Sarah.”

 

“In what way?”

 

“She said something about weeks of celibacy and implied that it's making me prudish.”

 

“Is she right?”

 

“Maybe,” I grumbled.

 

“Is princess feeling sexually frustrated?” Pete said in a quiet voice filled with desire.

 

“If you keep using that voice on me I will be more than a little frustrated,” I whined.

 

“I'm sure you can think of a way to relieve some of that frustration.”

 

I could feel the heat of his words right in my core.  I swallowed hard.

 

“Not during the day in a park I can't,” I replied in a somewhat steady voice.

 

“You might consider heading back to the house.”

 

“Pete please.  The next few weeks are going to be hard enough without your suggestive comments.”

 

“Hard is right.”

 

“Where are you?”

 

“In my hotel room.”

 

“What are you doing?”

 

“Such naughty things,” he purred.

 

“I wish I was there.”

 

“What would you do if you were?”

 

I audibly swallowed.  Vivid images raced through my mind of everything I wanted to be doing and _would_ be doing if I was there.  My body already missed Pete as much as my heart did, the wet feeling between my legs more than confirmed that.  My vibrator was going to get a workout over the next couple months, there was no use denying that. After having been so sexually gratified as of late, my body was not going to tolerate celibacy one bit.

 

“Princess what's going on in your beautiful mind?  I can hear your shallow breathing?”

 

I snapped out of the needy daze I was in.

 

“Celibacy isn't an option, not now or probably ever again.”

 

“I hope you're talking about self love and not a temporary lover,” Pete replied teasingly.

 

“I don't know if self love is gonna cut it, might have to hire myself a nice gigolo to scratch the itch.”

 

I was teasing him but the growl that came through my phone was one of the sexiest sounds I'd ever heard and made me even wetter.

 

“No gigolo.  I will fly over there and fuck you so thoroughly that you'll never even consider another man.”

 

“Too late,” I responded.

 

“Too late!  What do you mean too late? You've been gone less than twenty four hours.  Are you saying you've already fucked.”

 

“Babe, I meant you've already banished the idea of other men, but thanks for thinking I'm unable to keep it in my pants and would cheat on you the second I was gone,” I was angry and hurt that he could think that of me.  I'd done nothing to deserve him thinking so poorly of me.

 

“I'm sorry princess, I don't mean to be so jealous and I know you wouldn't sleep with another dude.  I just..it's just,” he trailed off.

 

“It's just what?” I demanded.

 

“I can't lose you, it would tear me apart.  And I know you were joking, I do, but you're gorgeous and any man would kill to call you his own.  You are so out of my league, it's not funny and I'm worried you're going to figure that out and leave me.”

 

“Pete, I need you to hear and believe what I'm about to say.  Can you do that?”

 

“Yes,” came his whispered reply.

 

“You are it for me.  You are out of my league, not the other way around.  Women flock to you and you could have anyone. I'm the one who should be worried about not measuring up, but I don't.  Because I know you love me and I love you. We haven't been together long, but we've been through a hell of a lot in that time, more than most people would ever go through, and it's made one thing very clear for me.”

 

“What?”

 

“We are forever.  There's no one else for us.  We are a team, now and always.  We can get through whatever the world throws at us and come out stronger.  I love you Pete, heart, body, and soul.”

 

“I love you so much it hurts and all I want to do is kiss you.”

 

“I know babe, me too.”

 

“I'm so sorry I doubted you.”

 

“I know you are but you have got to get a handle on your jealousy, it's cute in small doses but it breaks my heart when it feels like you don't trust me.”

 

“I know princess, I will work on it.  And I do trust you, I just don't trust other men, or women for that matter, not to try to steal your heart.”

 

“They can't, because it's no longer mine.  It's yours.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW; this chapter deals with suicide and depression, please skip if it will trigger you.
> 
> This chapter is about Danni healing a little more. It's about forgiveness and living life in spite of everything else.
> 
> Please review if you read. 

**August 20 2018**

 

“I miss you so much sometimes.  My life feels so incomplete without you.  I still cry over you and wonder what life would be like if you were still here.  I still love you, I always will.”

 

I was standing in the cemetery, kneeling at Richie's final resting place, the only place he'd been for the last fourteen years and the only place he'd be for all eternity.  Tears were streaming down my face as I traced his name on the headstone. 

 

Richie had been one of my best friend's from age thirteen until I lost him at age sixteen, he was eighteen.  The day I heard, my life stalled out, crashed and burned, my heart was ripped out of my chest. I was so hollow for so long.  Some days I still felt hollow, as if a piece of my soul was missing and always would be. Richie was the first guy I'd loved. We’d never dated, never even kissed, but my heart was his from the moment I laid eyes on him.

 

We started talking online first, mostly because I was shy as hell and could never just start talking to an older guy on my own.  Online I was much more open, I was the person I wanted to be in real life, as is the same for all teenagers I guess. I'm not even sure how we connected online, but I was glad we did.  The only time our paths crossed in real life, aside from lunch, was during band practice. Yup we were both in the school band, me on clarinet, him on baritone saxophone. Not that we interacted much during practice, but I could watch him play for hours.

 

Somehow though, we became really good friends online and it eventually bled into real life.  We really connected when he opened up to me about his depression and suicidal thoughts. It got really bad at one point and he was super close to crossing the line.  I got through to him, thank God. I talked him off the ledge, so to speak, but I think it was the ultimatum I gave him. If he killed himself, I'd follow because I didn't think I could handle the loss.

 

That had been incentive enough for him to hang on to life.  At least for a few years.

 

He introduced me to a couple friend's online, guys from our school and I turned into a different person.  I figured if he was introducing me to other guys then he wasn't interested in me, so I started flirting heavily with one of them.  They didn't know me in real life so it was safe. Until it wasn't.

 

I'd known they were trying to figure out who I was, but I sure as hell wasn't going to make it easy on them.  I knew them but I avoided being near them. One day that changed. I was walking towards the field at school with some friend's, we saw Richie behind us with both guys.  When Richie called out to me, all my preservation instincts fled and I looked back. Only for a second, but it was enough for them to get a look at me. Dammit.

 

Eventually I started dating one of the guys, mostly because I didn't think Richie felt for me what I felt for him.  Later I learned that I was wrong and my heart broke a little more. We didn't talk as often as we had and I was sad but too wrapped up in my new relationship to try to change it.

 

My family moved and my relationship obviously disintegrated, long distance at fourteen was never going to work, but we remained friends.  I'd started talking more and more to Richie until it was as if things hadn't changed at all. We flirted back and forth but that's all it could be.

 

When I made a trip back to the states, alone, I made sure to buy him a couple band shirts I knew he'd like.  When I got home I arranged to stay with a friend for a week or two and made sure I'd see him.

 

He picked me up on my first day there and I was dressed to kill, short black denim wrap around skirt, a tight black spaghetti strap top with clasps up the front and one of his shirts thrown over top.  No one in my old town had ever seen me in this sort of outfit, but I'd grown up a lot in the last eighteen months, not that I hadn't been back in that time, but I'd grown into myself, gotten much more confident in the last few months.

 

When I took his shirt off to give it to him, he managed to keep his cool when he saw my shirt underneath.   I'd also grown into some serious boobage. He asked if he could kiss me and instead of jumping him, like I'd wanted to for years, I said no.  So he asked for a hug which I eagerly gave. I still kick myself to this day for not kissing him. I can only imagine what might've happened if I'd said yes.

 

After that, we talked less.  Maybe he thought I'd rejected him, maybe he no longer cared.  I still don't know what happened. Some eight months after our last meeting, I got the call.  Richie had committed suicide. Gassed himself in his car in the garage at home. 

 

I crumbled.  Fell into my own depression and shut myself away for a few months before shoving the emotion down and forcing myself to live.  In a world without him. The guy I'd wanted in my life always. The guy I'd measure every other against for the rest of my life.

 

Every year, on the anniversary of his death, I'd come see him and let out all the emotions still inside.  Let my mind conjure up an image of him as he might be today, of what we might have become, maybe lovers, maybe just friends.  Regardless of the life I was living at any given time, on this day every year, I let the love I felt for him still out into the world.  He'd always have a piece of my heart, the first piece I'd ever given away. A piece that I was happy for him to have, even in the afterlife.  The rest of my heart was now spoken for, and for the first time in years, I was truly happy.

 

“I forgive you.  I know I've never said it before but now I can.  I was so hurt when you died. I blamed myself for so long.  For not just knowing things were bad, as if I should've just been able to intuit the pain you were in, despite the fact we were hardly talking.  But I forgive you and I know that I was not to blame. I still don't know why you chose death, what happened to break you, but it no longer matters.  Not because I don't care, but because I care so deeply that all I want to do is remember you as the first guy I ever loved, even if you never knew. I'm sorry for not telling you when it might have made a difference but I'm so glad I got to have you in my life at all, even if it was way too short.  I love you Richie.”

 

With my heart hurting, but feeling lighter than I had when I arrived, I stood up, placed a kiss to my fingers, stroked them across his headstone, and walked back to my car.


	4. Chapter 4

**August 21 2018**

 

“Happy Birthday buddy! I'm so sorry I can't be there to help you celebrate!”

 

“Is okay Danni!  I miss you!”

 

“I miss you too kiddo.  Did you get my present?”

 

“No daddy made me wait until we talked.”

 

“How mean of daddy.  Why don't you give him the phone and open your gift!”

 

“Yay!”

 

_ “Careful Saint!” _

 

“How much sugar have you given that boy today?” I laughed.

 

“Too much probably, but it's his birthday and I can't say no to him.”

 

“You're a big push over Pete.”

 

“Only when it comes to the people I love.”

 

_ “OH MY GOSH! DAD! DANNI GOT ME A GUITAR JUST LIKE YOU!”   _ Saint screeched at the top of his lungs.

 

“What do you say?”

 

“THANK YOU DANNI!  NOW I CAN BE ROCKSTAR JUST LIKE DADDY! I LOVE YOU!”

 

“I love you too little man.  I'm glad you like it,” my smile was as big as I imagined his was.  I was so happy he liked it, I'd been a little apprehensive about the gift, unsure what a four year old boy would want and not wanting to overstep or upstage the gifts his parents would give him.

 

“You picked the perfect gift.  He loves it,” Pete said when he came back on the line.

 

“I'm glad.”

 

“I know you were worried, even though you didn't need to be.  He's ecstatic.”

 

“I can tell.  I just hope its it's not too...much.  You know?”

 

“It's not Danni.  You don't need to worry about that, I'm not.”

 

“What about Meagan?” I asked worriedly. 

 

“She likes you Danni,” I snorted.  “No, I'm serious, she does. She's asked about you almost as much as the boys.  She's not threatened by your relationship with Saint, she loves that you care for him so much.  At the start she was worried you'd be horrible to Saint or would try to taint her relationship with him, but she soon realised that you were just a friendly, caring person who would look after Saint and only wanted the best for him.”

 

“Wow.  That's.  That's very mature and open of her.”

 

“She see’s how happy I am with you and how much both boys care about you, she would never hurt them to spite me.”

 

“I'm glad to hear that.  I would never do anything to turn either of the boys against her, that would just be cruel beyond measure.”

 

“I know you wouldn't, and that's part of why I love you so much.”

 

“And the other part?”

 

“Your smoking hot bod,” he teased.

 

“Such a man sometimes,” I rolled my eyes even though he couldn't see it.

 

“You love me.”

 

“I do, though sometimes I question my sanity.”

 

“Sanity is overrated.”

 

“I suppose.”

 

“How are you?”

 

Pete knew that yesterday was always tough for me, I'd told him at least a little about Richie and his death, not everything but enough.  I hadn't talked to him yesterday, knowing I needed the day to myself. I'd even opted to stay in a hotel so I could be completely alone.

 

“Good.  Better. Better than I usually am this time of year,” I answered truthfully. 

 

“That's good, I don't like thinking about you being upset or depressed and not being able to hold you.”

 

“I know but I'm really okay.”

 

“I love you Danni.”

 

“I love you too Pete.”

 

“I'd better go before Saint breaks something, but I'll call you tomorrow?”

 

“I'll be waiting for your call.”

 

“Bye princess.”

 

“Bye babe.”

 

It was only midday so I was alone at the house, both Ben and Sarah were at work until five.  I didn't really know what to do with myself. The weekend had been spent talking, drinking, shopping, and just generally having fun.  I was leaving for Blenheim tomorrow and would have plenty to do once I got there. A whole life to sell, uproot, end. It wasn't a bad thing, I was really looking forward to getting all of that done, but my anxiety was still high knowing I'd have to spend at least a small amount of time with Christian.  It was going to be awkward. We’d been in love once. For nearly a decade it had been us against the world, it would feel so strange to be against each other. We’d been best friends, confidants, lovers and everything in between. 

 

These were thoughts I'd pushed to the back of my mind since I'd broken our engagement.  The end of any relationship was hard and heartbreaking, even if it was your idea. You never entered a relationship expecting it to end, or you'd never bother trying.  So even though I knew it was the right choice, and had been coming for a while, it was still sad. Like losing someone to cancer or disease. You knew the end was coming but you were never prepared and it always hurt.

 

I would never change my decision to end things, it had to be this way.  I didn't regret my decision and I could never regret my relationship with Pete, ever, but none of that was going to make the coming weeks easier.  Facing Christian after all that had happened in the last few months, and the years we spent together was going to be hard, different. Even when we’d just met, there was a spark, desire, an awareness of each other.  For Gods sake we'd become ‘hug buddies’ within weeks, any excuse to touch each other without others getting curious. Aside from one incident, our relationship only became sexual after nearly three years of being ‘friends’.  

 

Though neither of us admitted it, we'd both known we would end up here, together.  What we hadn't expected was for our casual fling to turn into a full blown, all consuming relationship.  There had been arguments, big one's, but we’d always worked it out. This time was different. The all consuming love was no longer there.  The passion was gone. I'd always love him, that's just the way love works, but I was no longer in love with him. No. I was in love with another.  Pete. Pete Wentz.

 

God it still felt like a crazy dream.  A fantasy I conjured in my head to escape from the mundane life I was stuck in.  Every time I woke up and he was there I had to pinch myself to ensure it was real, that I wasn't trapped in a dream.  If one day I woke up in a hospital bed, having been in a coma, I'd be broken, but not surprised. My mind has always lived in other worlds, coma dreams would be no different.  Hopefully I'd never have to live with that knowledge first hand. If I was in a coma, at least I'd have the memories. Amazing memories.

 

“God let this not be a coma fantasy.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am SO sorry

**August 23 2018**

 

God I hated Blenheim.  It was just so. Bland.  Boring. We’d only lived here for two years but it felt like an eternity.  Blenheim is beautiful, don't get me wrong, but it's so small and. Quaint. That's the word I'd use.  I wasn't exactly a big city kinda girl but I wasn't cut out for small town life either. I liked to  _ do  _ things, I  _ needed _ to do things.  

 

Blenheim is a small town, near the top of the south island and within fifteen minutes of the beach, and a couple hours from the mountains, which are covered in snow during the winter months.  Excellent for skiing and snowboarding. The biggest thing to know about Blenheim, it's wine country. Vineyards as far as the eye can see in every direction. New vineyards are going in constantly.  When you fly in, especially during spring and summer, all you see is row after perfect row of grape vines. It's pretty, but boring. And for a non wine drinker, not really a selling point.

 

So why Blenheim? 

 

My parents.  That's the only answer I have.  We no longer wanted to live in dreary Hamilton and when my parents suggested Blenheim, and advocated for it as if they were the fucking Blenheim tourism board, we figured, why not?

 

I'll tell you why not.  It's all vineyards, old people, and families.  Yes, okay there are younger people, most have never left Blenheim, but there's something in the water.  There are literally dozens of pregnant women wherever you look  _ always _ .  All year.  I swear Blenheim must have the most fertile women on the planet and it seems as if that's all they do here.  Pop out babies, year after year. Now, I have no problem with children, I want my own, but I want to do something with my life besides raise a family.  I understand that people want to be parents and that it's a huge step and incredible, but here it seems as if it's just expected. It's what you do. That's what I can't get my head around.  Small town mentality I suppose.

 

I was currently at the house I'd shared with Christian, he was at work so I was starting the process of gathering all my shit.  I was thankful he hadn't changed the locks on me, not that I'd expected him too. It was a rental after all.

 

I was making piles, donate, sell, keep.  There wasn't much in the keep pile. There wasn't much in any pile yet, I'd only been here for a couple hours and I'd spent some time deciding where to start and letting my mind wander.  Thinking about the good times and the bad, trying to pinpoint when I'd stopped loving Christian. I still couldn't say when, only that it was before the move. The big, stupid move that we'd both fucking hated and regretted after a few months.  Such a stupid decision, one that I was sure created animosity between us. Him because it was my parents suggestion and I'd agreed to it. Me because he’d never said anything negative about it no matter how many times I checked if he was sure. He hadn't been, nor had I and so we'd moved and begun to slowly pull away, letting our anger for each other simmer and create a rift.  One that could no longer be closed. Not that I wanted to close it, but I didn't want to lose him completely. He was a huge part of my life.

 

‘God dammit why can't I just stop thinking for awhile,’ I mumbled to myself.

 

I was so sick of my brain dredging up the past, I wanted to move on, I was happy again.  Why couldn't I just let myself be happy.

 

But then that's why I was here wasn't it?  To close the door. Tie up loose ends. To get the closure I needed and move on.  That was why I'd insisted on coming back and taking care of it all. I was ready to move forward but I had to deal with my past first.

 

I took in a deep breathe and refocused my energy on the task at hand.  

 

‘Time to move forward.’

 

* * * *

 

‘You're still here.’

 

‘Yeah, sorry.  I'd intended to be gone by the time you got home but I lost track of time.  I'll just finish this and leave,’ I replied.

 

‘You don't have to go.’

 

‘Christian,’ I sighed, ‘It's over.  You know it is. Don't make this harder.’

 

‘I miss you.  I  _ love  _ you.  I  _ forgive _ you.’

 

‘Forgive me?  For what?’ 

 

‘For fucking  _ Pete _ ,’ he said Pete as if it was a dirty word.  He'd always disliked Pete, simply because he knew I thought he was fucking gorgeous, to the point I'd made him one of my free passes.

 

‘I didn't ask for your forgiveness, nor do I want it.’

 

‘It's okay honey, you have it anyway.  I know I agreed to him as one of your free passes but I never thought it would happen.  I was so pissed but then I remembered how much I love you and how much you love me so. I forgive you.  I'm over it.’

 

‘I do love you but I'm not  _ in love _ with you.  Pete isn't just a free pass for me.  I love him, I'm  _ in love _ with him.  I broke up with you and I'm not here to change that,’ I spoke softly, trying to get him to hear my sincerity, he needed to understand. 

 

‘No.’

 

‘What the fuck do you mean by no?’ So much for softly.

 

‘I mean no.  I'm not letting you go.  Not without a fight. We've been through too much together for me to just let you go.’

 

‘It's not your decision to make.   _ I broke up with you. _  Our relationship is over.  Done. Finished. It's time to move on.’

 

‘And why is it your decision to make? Why do you get a say but I don't?’

 

‘I...because.  Because..’

 

‘Bit hypocritical isn't it?’

 

Dammit.  He had a point.  But what the fuck? Since when had ending a relationship had rules of equality?  Since when did it become a requirement that both parties had to agree? 

‘I want a second chance.’

 

‘No.  I won't do that.  I won't cheat on Pete.’

 

‘But it was fine to cheat on me?!’ he was getting angry.

 

‘I didn't fucking cheat on you.  Jesus Christian, I broke up with you before anything happened with Pete.’

 

‘I didn't agree to break up and just because you hadn't slept with him yet, doesn't mean you weren't cheating.  You were already falling in love with him. You were cheating on me emotionally.’

 

‘Seriously? Emotional cheating? That's what you're going with? And you want me to do that to Pete? Not happening.  You need to get this through your head. We. Are. Over.’

 

I spun away from him and grabbed my bag, heading for the door.  I wrenched it open and was seconds from slamming it closed when Christian grabbed the edge.

 

‘This isn't over Danni.  I will fight for you. I will win you back.  You're mine.’

 

I was in my car, the door slamming behind me, the engine flaring to life, and rage simmering in my veins.

 

I peeled out of the driveway in the direction of the hotel.  I slammed my palms on the steering wheel. 

 

‘FUCK!’

 

No fucking way was that ever happening.  I wasn't his, I never would be, not again.  I was happy, why wouldn't he let me be happy.

 

‘Fucking Christian!’

 

I pulled into the motel and parked outside my unit.

 

‘Fucking shitty ass small town!’

 

Nothing was more than five minutes from anywhere else and today that made me furious.  I wanted much more space between me and Christian.

 

As soon as I was inside I pulled out my phone.

 

_ To- <3 Bug _

_ Are you awake? _

 

It was late in the states, mostly, and I couldn't remember what time zone he was in but I hoped he'd be awake and free to talk.  My phone started ringing. Thank God.

 

‘Fucking Christian,’ I growled in lieu of a greeting.

 

‘What'd he did? Did he hurt you? I'll kill him if he hurt you.’

 

‘He didn't hurt me.  He wants another chance.’

 

Silence.

 

‘I'm not giving it to him.’

 

Silence.

 

‘Pete? Are you still there?’

 

‘Yeah.  I’m here.’

 

‘Did you hear what I said? I'm not giving him another chance.’

 

‘You should.’

 

‘Should what?’

 

‘Give him a second chance.’

 

‘What?  Why? Why would you say that?  I thought you loved me and you want my to go back to my ex?’

 

‘Fuck no I don't.  And I do love you but..’ he trailed off.

 

‘But what?!’ I demanded. 

 

‘What if you regret your choice one day? What if you blame me for ruining your engagement to him?  This all happened so fast, you've barely had time to think about it at all.’

 

‘I've thought about it plenty.  I'm happy with you, more than happy, ecstatic.  I haven't felt like this in forever. Christian doesn't make me feel like this, you do.’

 

‘But he could.  If you let him try.’

 

‘What's going on Pete? Why are you trying to push me into his arms?’

 

‘I'm not,’ he let out a sigh, ‘I don't really know why I'm doing this.  I love you, so much. I never want to lose you, ever.’

 

‘Then what's the problem?’

 

‘I don't want to be with you if there's a chance you could be happier with someone else.’

 

‘Pete,’ barely a whisper of sound.  Tears were streaming down my face, my throat was clogged with emotion.  ‘How can you think that? You know how I feel about you. I love you. I'm in love with you.’

 

‘I know princess, I know.  But you haven't been single in years, you need to experience that, even if it rips my heart out even thinking about you going on dates.’

 

‘I don't want to be single.  I want you.’

 

‘I want you too baby, more than anything else. More than my next breath.’

 

‘You have me.’

 

‘You need to experience being single, dating and all that entails.  You can't know you love me if you don't see what else, or who else, is out there.  I can't be the one who holds you back, the person you resent because you never got to live.  Give Christian another chance, or don't, but not because of me. Play the field, go on dates, meet new people.  I'll be here waiting for you, hoping you'll come back. Praying, you'll come back. If you don't, it'll break my heart, but at least I'll know you're happy.’

 

I couldn't hold back my sobs.  My heart was breaking. Again. Pete wanted me to date other guys, maybe even Christian.  He was ending our relationship on the phone, thousands of miles away, supposedly for me. All I wanted was him, couldn't he see that?

 

‘Please don't cry baby.  I love you, please don't cry.’

 

‘Then don't do this.  Don't throw me away.’

 

‘I'm not throwing you away.  I would never do that. I only have your best interests at heart.’

 

‘You're my best interest.’

 

‘I know you think that but you don't know that for sure.  I love you princess. I hope you come back to me.’

 

The next sound I heard was the dial tone.

 

He was gone.

 

I was alone.

 

Totally.  Completely.  Alone.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because yesterday's chapter ended horribly, here's another that isn't quite so awful 

**August 25 2018  (Pete POV)**

 

‘What is going on with you?’

 

‘Hmm? What?’

 

‘Seriously Pete, what's up?  Missing Danni?’

 

‘Mmmm yeah something like that.  I don't really want to talk about it Trick.’

 

‘What'd you do?’

 

‘Why do you think I did something?’

 

Patrick gave me a hard look.

 

‘I really don't want to talk about it.’

 

‘Fine.  But if you won't talk about it, then you'd better figure out how to handle it better and stop acting like an ass.’

 

‘I am not acting like I ass,’ I replied incredulously. 

 

‘Uh huh.’

 

Patrick turned and walked away from me.  So maybe I was acting a little like an ass.  I let out a big sigh and hustled to catch up to him.

 

‘I fucked up.’

 

‘How?’

 

‘I told Danni to date other people.’

 

‘Why would you do that!?’ Patrick was stunned.

 

‘Because I don't want her to hate me in a couple years.’

 

‘What? That makes zero sense.’

 

‘Trick, she was with her ex for almost ten years and then we started dating.  She's basically never been single. In a few years she might feel like she missed out and blame me.  I don't want that. I want her to be with me because she loves me, not because I was there when she left him,’ I tried to explain.

 

‘So you decided that she  _ may  _ one day feel like she missed out on the single life and leave you.  To prevent that, you told her to go out and be single now?’

 

‘Yes?’ When he said it that way, it sounded incredibly stupid.

 

‘You're an idiot.  All you've done is hurt both of you.’

 

I hung my head.  ‘Christian wants her back.’

 

‘So? Does Danni want him back?’ he asked.

 

‘No, she says she doesn't.’

 

‘Do you love her?’

 

‘Yes, of course!’

 

‘Does she love you?’

 

‘I think so.  She says she does.’

 

‘She does.  Anyone could see that, except apparently you.  Don't push her away! She's an amazing woman and she loves you.  A lot has happened to her in a short amount of time and she's come out stronger than ever, with you beside her.  You're good together. You're good for each other.’

 

‘I'm scared,’ I all but whispered. 

 

‘Of what? Being happy?’

 

‘Yes!  And then losing everything.  Again.’

 

‘So you’d rather never have it?’

 

I shook my head and avoided eye contact.

 

‘You need to tell her you made a mistake and are an idiot.  You need to grovel and beg her to take you back. I don't care what it takes, you and Danni belong together.’

 

* * * *

**(Danni POV)**

 

Two days.  I'd been “single" for two days.  What had I done in those two days? Cried.  In bed. What had I not done? Literally anything else.  I felt broken. How could Pete tell me to date other guys and also tell me he loved me? Was this some kind of test?  Had I already failed?

 

I'd wanted to call or text him hundreds of times in the last two days but didn't know what to say.  I loved him but that didn't seem to be enough for him. He said he loved me. Still not enough for him.  What did he want? It obviously wasn't me. The last couple months had been amazing with Pete, discounting my kidnapping of course.  I'd thought we were strong, in love, and completely happy. How wrong I was.

 

‘Fuck this!  I'm not giving him the satisfaction of breaking me.  He wants me to date, fine, I'm gonna date.’

 

I flipped the blankets off and stood up, determined to keep living despite the aching in my chest.  

 

‘First things first, shower.’

 

* * * *

 

‘You ever used Tinder?’

 

‘No.  Why?’ Sarah queried. 

 

‘Because I'm signing up but I have no fucking clue what I'm doing.’

 

‘Danni, sweets, why are you signing up to Tinder?  What about Pete?’

 

‘Fuck Pete.’

 

‘Okay what the hell happened? Three days ago you were deliriously in love, now you sound like you want to physically harm him.’

 

‘I do want to physically harm him.’

 

‘Why?’

 

‘He broke up with me,’ I replied more calmly than I felt.

 

‘What?!  Why?! When did this happen?!’ Sarah screeched.

 

‘He broke up with me.  He wants me to date because he thinks I'll resent him for some stupid reason.  And two days ago.’

 

I could hear the wheels turning in Sarah's head, trying to decipher what little information I'd given her.

 

‘I need more.  Why would you resent him?’

 

I spent the next ten minutes explaining the conversation with Pete, almost verbatim, until she had the full picture.  When I was done she let out a breath.

 

‘Okay.’

 

‘Okay? That's all you have to say? What the fuck Sarah!  You should be raging with me, not accepting of this shit.’

 

‘Oh I'm feeling plenty of rage on your behalf, but I also get it.’

 

‘Get what?!’

 

‘Pete's motives.’

 

‘Oh come off it! He used me for a summer fling and decided that now was a good time to end it with no care about me at all.  He's just a dickhead rockstar!’

 

‘That's not it at all Danni.’

 

‘Then tell me, oh great one, why he broke up with me?  Because it sure as shit wasn't for my benefit.’

 

‘Except it was.  Danni, he was right, you both started this relationship super quick.  Literally days after you broke up with Christian. You haven't been single, not completely, since you were twenty one.  And before that you were single for what, six months?’

 

‘So?’

 

‘You haven't experienced singledom as an adult.  Ever. You're a serial monogamist. That's not a bad thing, but you never give yourself time to be alone. You end a long term relationship and find another.  You have never done casual.’

 

‘That's not true.  I've had my share of one night stands.  Hell I lost my virginity to Matt and that ended up as no more than a one night stand.’

 

‘But you were friend's with Matt.’

 

‘So?’

 

‘So it was never really casual.  There was a form of relationship there, even if mostly a friendly one.  All of your relationships were with friends. All of them.’

 

‘How is that a bad thing?’

 

‘It's not, at all, but,’ she let out a heavy sigh, ‘the longest time you've been single since you started dating at fourteen, has been what? Nine months? And each time, you went on to date a friend, usually for at least six months.’

 

‘Not Moose, that was only a few weeks.’

 

‘Yeah because you decided you were better as friends.’

 

‘What about Adam?  We didn't date.’

 

‘Yes but you were still friends before you slept with him and I'm pretty sure you did that only to get back at Christian.’

 

‘Okay, yes.  But there was Gary, I barely knew him and basically never saw him again.’

 

‘Yeah I remember, but I also remember he was fucking creepy and you started seeing Christian soon after.’

 

‘So what? Because I've never really dated casually, suddenly that's a bad thing? Something I'm missing out on?’

 

‘Yeah basically.  I get where he's coming from. He doesn't want to lose you in the future because you suddenly decide it's time to play the field, sow your oats, so to speak.  It happens. You know as well as I that both men and women wake up one day and realise they never lived. They dated, got married, had kids, and completely missed out on the wild, crazy dating scene when they were young, so they go a little wild.  Jesus, that's what happened to Dustie and Alex.’

 

I let that sink it.  That's exactly what had happened.  High school sweethearts, married a few years out of school, two kids, then the relationship imploded when they both cheated on each other because they'd never really been with anyone else.

 

‘But I'm thirty.  I've dated, slept with other guys.  I don't feel like I missed out at all.  I haven't been married or had kids, nor been with the same guy since high school.  So it's not really the same.’

 

‘How long were you with him?’

 

‘Christian?’

 

‘No the pope! Yes Christian.’

 

‘Eight years, you know that.’

 

‘And how long were you engaged?’

 

‘Four years.  What's your point?’

 

‘Stick with me.  Had you set a wedding date or done any planning?’

 

‘Noooo,’ I answered hesitantly. 

 

‘Had you talked about having kids and buying a house?’

 

‘Well.  Yes to both.  What's this about?’

 

‘Last question.  Were you happy with Christian?’

 

‘Yes.’

 

‘The entire eight years?’

 

‘I.  No. Not the entire eight years, no.’

 

‘And yet, you were engaged to him, actively talking about kids and a house, but not about a wedding.  You may not have been high school sweethearts, or married with kids, but you were as close to it as possible, yet you weren't happy.  The relationship was imploding for various reasons. For all intents and purposes, you'd hit that wall. You were damn close to breaking point, to saying “fuck it, I'm done" and having your wild time.  But you met Pete, so instead of getting that out of your system, you entered another serious relationship. You're already fucking engaged again for Christ's sake.’

 

‘Not anymore,’ I could feel the tears stinging my eyes.

 

‘No, I know that hon.  What I'm trying to say is, I understand where Pete's mind is at.  It explains the jealousy he felt too. He knew you were in a long term relationship when you got together, but he was also worried that you weren't ready for it.  I was worried. He's trying to rectify the situation, to give you freedom so you can do the single thing, get it out of your system. And I know you're hurting, he will be too, but he doesn't want you to leave him in a year, two, ten, because you feel that itch again.’

 

‘So.  You think I should date?’

 

‘Yes.’

 

‘But.  But what if I meet someone else and fall in love?  What about Pete?’

 

‘If that happens, then you and Pete would never have lasted.  He knows the risks of his plan and I'm sure he'll be broken about it, but he'll also understand that it wasn't meant to be.’

 

‘I just can't believe that to be true.  Nothing feels more right to me than being with Pete.’

 

‘And isn't that exactly how you felt about Christian? And Brad before him?  And Every other relationship?’

 

‘Yeah,’ I sighed in defeat.  She was right, of course. I wasn't the kind of person to start a relationship if it didn't feel right, but I also knew that just because something felt right now, didn't mean it always would.

 

‘So get your ass on Tinder and go on some dates.  Play the field. If by the time you're meant to go back to the states you still want to be with Pete, at least you'll be one hundred percent sure that it's the right thing.’

 

‘What if he doesn't want me anymore by then?’

 

‘It's a risk you have to take.’


	7. Chapter 7

**August 28 2018 (Pete POV)**

 

Danni hadn't answered any of my calls or texts in the last two days.  I couldn't blame her, she was probably pissed at me. I was pissed at me.  And heart broken. I had no one to blame but myself. I was desperate to get on a plane, track her down, and beg her to take me back, but there wasn't time between shows and I wasn't about to cancel any just because I'd royally fucked up.

 

Instead, I was using my pain and channelling it into lyrics.  This felt familiar. I'd spent years writing lyrics with a broken heart, getting all my feelings down on paper in an attempt to let them go.  Only I didn't want to let these go. Ever. So I was writing lyrics, but keeping the emotions behind them. That could explain why they seemed so flat.

 

_ I miss you like a shark misses the ocean. _

 

What the hell.  That was a garbage metaphor and I am the king of metaphors.

 

_ I love you like a cat loves themselves. _

 

‘Okay, this isn't working.’ I threw my pen down, giving up my futile attempts. 

 

I walked through the connecting door to Patrick's suite.

 

‘Wanna get lunch?’

 

‘It's ten am.’

 

‘Wanna get brunch?’

 

Patrick looked up at me from his laptop.  ‘You fixed it yet?’

 

‘No.’

 

‘Then no.  I love you Pete, but this broody, angsty thing you're rocking is far too 2007 for my liking and I might hit you if you don't snap out of it.’

 

‘What exactly do you want me to do Trick? I can't just fly to New Zealand on a whim, we're in the middle of a fucking tour.  She won't answer my calls or texts. I can't even write lyrics to get it out, I've tried, it's bad.’

 

‘I know.  I read some you left lying around yesterday.  They suck. Hard.’

 

‘So what do you suggest? I can't help how I feel, I can't stop feeling this way, nor do I want to because I deserve to feel like shit.’

 

‘No you don't.’

 

‘Yes I do.  I was an idiot, a moron, a complete fucking ass.  I deserve to feel like this.’

 

‘Yes, you were all those things, but no one deserves to feel like shit.  You thought you were doing the right thing, even though it was insane, and you knew it was going to hurt you, you did it anyway.  That shows incredible strength.’

 

‘I don't care about strength.  I care about Danni. I hurt her.  Bad. I knew I was hurting her but I couldn't stop myself from doing it.  She hates me and I don't blame her. I hate myself right now.’

 

‘Dude! Don't say that!  Yes your whole plan to set her free was moronic, but your heart was in the right place.  Yes you could've gone about this in a better way but what's done is done. She doesn't hate you, she loves you.  Now you need to fix your fuck up. I don't know how, but you need to figure out how to prove you love her and win back her heart and you can't do that while moping around and feeling like shit.’

 

‘That was a very passionate speech Trick.’

 

‘I meant every word.  Now stop fucking stalling and come up with a plan.’

 

‘Sir, yes sir,’ I mock saluted on my way back to my suite.

 

‘Okay, operation prove I love Danni and win her heart back starts now.  First up, a better name.’

 

* * * * 

 

**(Danni POV)**

 

‘How you doing?’

 

‘Better.’

 

‘Been on any dates yet?’

 

‘It's been three days Sarah.  No I haven't been on any dates.’

 

‘Woah don't take it out on me, I'm not the one who hurt you.’

 

‘I know.  I'm sorry.  I'm just still hurting.’

 

‘I know babe.  Have you at least joined Tinder?’

 

‘Yes I have and before you can ask, yes I've used it and had a couple matches.’

 

‘Good.  Anyone promising yet?’

 

‘A couple.  I've been chatting with two guys, Simon and Luke.’

 

‘Any dates planned?’

 

‘No, not yet.  I haven't even given either my number yet.’

 

‘You're such an old lady.  Live a little! Things move fast these days so pick up the pace or they'll lose interest.’

 

‘If they lose interest that quick then they aren't worth the trouble and I don't want to date them.’

 

‘Danni! You are still thinking in terms of having a serious relationship and that's exactly what you're not supposed to be doing.  You're supposed to be trying casual dating, have some lighthearted fun. You aren't looking for a man to marry.’

 

‘I know, I know but that's just not me.  I don't do casual, not really. I don't know how to do this,’ I groaned.

 

‘First, swap cell numbers, then set up a date with one or both guys.  Have a good time, have sex if you want to, if you don't, don't. If you feel a connection to either, pursue it, if not, let them down gently and move on.  Continue the cycle until you either find someone you want a relationship with or you realise that Pete is your one and only,’ she explained matter-of-factly. 

 

‘That sounds like a lot of work to end up exactly where I was a week ago.’

 

‘It's not supposed to be work.  It's supposed to be fun and a way for you to make sure it's Pete you really want.’

 

‘I already know it is but fine.  I will play along with this stupid charade just so you'll stop harping on at me.’

 

‘Good girl.  Now, go get you a date!’

 

‘Uh huh.  Bye Sarah.’

 

‘Bye Danni.’

 

I hung up and sucked in a breath.

 

‘Okay.  Here goes nothing.’

 

I sent the same message to them both and hoped it didn't come off too needy or desperate. 

 

_ Hey hope you're having a good day.  Thought it might be time to move from Tinder to texting, so my numbers 022 0057 623.  Talk soon. _

 

It didn't feel natural at all but I didn't know how to move to texting any other way.  If I didn't get a text from either it wasn't a big deal. I didn't know them so there was no need to feel embarrassed if they blew me off.  At least I was trying to get out there, if for no other reason than to prove to myself, and to Pete, that my feelings were real.

 

‘Men are stupid,’ I muttered. 

 

I knew he was regretting his choice, his dozen texts and even more calls, confirmed that, but I wasn't about to let him off the hook.  I was going to do  _ exactly _ as he’d asked and only then, would I tell him what an idiot he was and forgive him, after making him grovel at my feet for awhile.  A devious plan perhaps, but it was how I'd chosen to play, how Pete had chosen to play. 

 

‘May the best woman win.’


	8. Chapter 8

**August 30 2018**

 

_ ‘He seemed so nice, so normal online but oh my God he is so boring.  And a huge mommas boy. He still lives at home. HE'S THIRTY FUCKING FIVE!’  _

 

My inner thoughts were not kind to poor Simon, luckily I kept them to myself.  I smiled politely, made eye contact, responded appropriately to all questions and held up my end of the conversation, no matter how dull of a topic.  

 

The evening was winding to a close, for which I was extremely grateful, but I was beginning to feel anxious about letting him down.  I had no intention of stringing him along but I didn't relish having to tell him that there was no way in hell.

 

‘I had a good time with you Danni.’

 

‘Oh um.  Yeah it was very pleasant,’ I responded, slightly caught off guard.

 

‘Any chance you'd want to do it again?’

 

Apparently it was already time.

 

‘I had a lovely evening Simon, but. I don't think we're a good match.  At least not relationship wise. I'd like to be friend's, if that's okay?’ There.  I was honest without being mean. And I did want to be friend's, I could see that with Simon, just nothing beyond friend's.

 

‘Who said anything about a relationship?  It's a first date, I'm not thinking relationship, just another date or two and if things go well, maybe sex.’

 

‘Simon, you seem like a nice guy but I don't think we connect, at all.  I'm not on Tinder to sleep around, so if that's what you're looking for, then I'm not the person for you.’

 

‘So you're looking for a boyfriend?’ he seemed almost annoyed by that thought.

 

‘No.  I'm just looking to meet people, have some fun, nothing serious, but also not a bunch of one night stands.’

 

‘Wow.  Well you're honest.  That's refreshing. I don't completely understand but I respect what you're saying.  I can't say I'm not disappointed, you're a beautiful woman, but I'm not going to try and force a second date if you aren't feeling it.’

 

‘Thanks Simon, that's very sweet.  You wanna split the cheque?’

 

‘I don't mind paying.  Even if this is our first and last date, it was an excellent one and I'm happy to pay for it.’

 

‘You really are a sweet guy.  Thank you.’

 

‘No problem at all.  Whichever guy you end up with is one lucky bastard.’

 

I smiled as a blush ran up my cheeks.  I didn't disagree with that statement but what Simon didn't know, and what made me feel slightly terrible, was that someone already had me, even if he was actively pushing me away.

 

After the bill was paid, we said our goodbyes at the door.  I gave him a peck on the cheek and promised I was serious about being friend's.  He seemed genuinely happy with that and I left for my hotel feeling happier than I had in a week.  Not because I was moving on, but because I was still completely in love with Pete which meant I was winning.

 

I had another date tomorrow night with Luke and I expected it to be much the same, though hopefully he was less boring and didn't live at home.  

 

* * * *

 

**(Pete POV)**

 

‘Operation L.O.M.L is a go!’

 

‘What the fuck is operation L.O.M.L?’ Joe asked.

 

‘It's Pete's plan to get Danni back,’ Patrick explained.

 

‘What happened with you and Danni?  What did you do?’ Andy asked confused.

 

‘Why does everyone think I did something?’

 

‘Uh because you're you and an idiot,’ Joe countered.

 

‘Joe!’ Patrick exclaimed.  

 

‘Am I wrong?’

 

‘No but that was mean!’

 

‘My bad.  So what happened?’ Joe asked a bit nicer.

 

‘I told Danni to go and date around.  I know, I'm an idiot, but I had my reasons.  Now I'm regretting that decision and trying to make it right with operation L.O.M.L or operation Love Of My Life.’

 

‘Awww that's sweet,’ Patrick cooed.

 

‘That's nauseating,’ Joe proclaimed.

 

‘I think it's fitting,’ added Andy.

 

‘Thanks Trick, Andy.  Now do you want to hear my plan or not?’

 

*  * * *

 

I'd explained my plan to the guys, they'd offered suggestions and voiced concerns.  A couple hours later I had a firm plan in place. A good plan. Joe and Andy has asked for clarification on my reasons for pushing Danni away, called me an idiot, but then done everything they could to help me.  Trick too. The plan was as close to perfect as it could get. If I could do any of this in person, it would be perfect, but I couldn't, so it was as good as it was gonna get.

 

Phase one was being implemented at our show tomorrow night.  I'd made sure the show was live streamed and the link sent to Danni.  Only Danni. Others may find it, but I needed her to know it was for her.

 

Phase two was happening the following day and would continue for a couple of days before phase three, the final phase, on September eighth.  I was both nervous and excited. I needed this to work. I didn't want to live without Danni. I would if she couldn't forgive me, if she decided she didn't love me, but I didn't want to.  I was pulling out all the stops. If it didn't work, at least I'd tried, given it my all.

 

‘Please let this work,’ I prayed quietly.  ‘I need this to work.’


	9. Chapter 9

**August 31 2018**

 

Ting.

 

I was hauling boxes out to my car when I heard the notification come through.  I put the box in the boot of my car and woke my screen.

 

‘Email.  I'll check it soon.’

 

I doubted it would be little more than spam, especially since I didn't recognize the email address.  I wanted to finish loading up my car, for the third time today, and get everything back to my hotel room.  I only had three boxes left to fit in and I'd be done for the day, getting out long before Christian got home.  I'd been successfully avoiding him since our confrontation, I didn't want to deal with him yet. I knew I would have to soon, but soon was not today.

 

* * * *

 

Two hours later I remembered the email.  I'd gotten all my boxes back to my room and unloaded then had a late lunch.

 

I clicked into the email, Subject: For Danni

 

Message: Special Livestream for Danni. From Pete.

 

No signature but there was a blue link.  I debated clicking it, worried it'd end up being malware or some virus, but after checking the email address,  [ fobtechie@gmail.com ](mailto:fobtechie@gmail.com) , I figured it was legit.  

 

Stealing myself for what I might be about to see, I opened the link, which turned out to be a Periscope livestream.  Suddenly I was watching a Fall Out Boy concert. I checked the time, 2pm, meaning depending on where they were playing, it was around 10pm, so I'd only caught the end of the concert.  Hopefully I hadn't missed anything important, but my guess was I had. Why send the link if it wasn't important. 

 

I decided to move the video back to the start, thank you Periscope for having that feature.  I got myself comfy and settled in for the concert. I may still be pissed at him, but I'll always love Fall Out Boy and will watch any concert footage, any time.

 

* * * *

 

Thirty minutes.  Longer than most T.V shows, shorter than a movie.  That's how long I was watching the concert when my heart stopped.

 

The song currently playing was Heaven’s Gate, arguably my favorite off Mania, a beautiful love song, as much as any Fall Out Boy song could be considered a love song.  The reason I had tears streaming down my face. No, not just due to the beautiful lyrics and the emotion behind the song. Not because every word reminded me of Pete, though they did.

 

No.  I was a complete mess because of the speech before they started playing.

 

It came from Patrick, which is very unusual, but while he spoke the words, I knew they were from Pete.

 

_ ‘We’re going to play a song we've never done live.  It goes out to a very special woman. A woman who means the world to us all but who is hurting right now because of one of us.  She's not here tonight, in fact she isn't even in the country right now, but we hope she's watching just the same. Princess, this one's for you.’ _

 

The crowd had erupted at that moment, almost drowning out the beginning, when they picked up the song another huge cheer went up.  No one aside from those closest to us would know who Patrick was referring to and that made it so much more special. Pete, and in fact all the guys, knew I valued my privacy.  This was an incredible way to apologize in a big way, while also letting me remain anonymous. Mostly. Some people might figure out it was me, it was no secret I was dating Pete, nor that I was in New Zealand packing up my life, but it would take people a minute to figure it out.  I would just need to stay off social media for a few days until things calmed down.

 

I watched the rest of the concert with a smile.  Point. Wentz.

 

I still had a date tonight, in a little under three hours, and I wouldn't stand him up or cancel at the last minute, but I knew it was just for show.  I'd be forgiving Pete, as if that had ever been in question, but I'd also make him stew for a little longer.

 

* * * *

 

‘Christian?  What the hell are you doing here?’  I'd arrived at the restaurant to meet my date, expecting to find Luke, obviously, and here was Christian, no Luke in sight.

 

‘I'm here for our date.’

 

‘Our date?  Are you crazy? I'm meeting someone else, you need to go.’

 

‘No, you're meeting me.  I'm your date.’

 

‘Like hell you are!’

 

‘Shhh.  You don't want to make a scene now do you?’

 

‘Oh I will make a scene Christian.  Did you fucking catfish me?’

 

‘Catfish?’ he seemed genuinely confused.

 

‘Pretend to be someone else online to play me,’ I explained.

 

‘No.  I had no intention of playing you, but I knew you wouldn't go on a date with me unless I got you here on false pretenses.’

 

‘You're damn right I wouldn't have and there's nothing keeping me from leaving.  So nice try, but I'm out!’ 

 

I stormed out of the restaurant, ignoring the stares I was sure to be getting.  

 

What is wrong with him? Did he really expect this to work?  For me to stay and have dinner with him? He really was losing it if he did.

 

‘What a moron,’ I muttered as I pulled out of the car park.

 

* * * *

 

**(Pete POV)**

 

‘Do you think she saw it?’

 

‘I don't know, can't you check who viewed it?’ Patrick asked.

 

‘You're a genius! Be right back!’  I ran through the hotel until I reached Bens’ room, the guitar tech I asked to setup the livestream. I banged on his door.

 

‘Ben!  You up man?  Hey! I need to ask you something!’

 

Ben opened the door looking as if he'd been out cold moments earlier, which he probably had been.

 

‘What the fuck Pete! It's nearly three in the morning.  What do you want?!’

 

‘Sorry I didn't realise the time but uh.  Do you know if Danni saw the concert?’ I asked hopefully. 

 

‘Seriously.  This couldn't wait until daylight?’

 

‘I uh...I guess it could've.  Sorry dude. Go back to sleep.’

 

‘Too late for that.  Come in, I'll just grab my phone and we can check.’

 

‘Thanks Ben.’

 

Ben retrieved his phone and brought up Periscope, clicking on the video details.

 

‘Looks like a few dozen people found it while it was going, and another couple dozen have viewed it since it ended.’

 

‘Any of them Danni?’

 

‘I'm not sure.  I don't see her name but most people don't use their real names anyway.  Here take a look, maybe you'll recognize one of them.’

 

I scrolled through the list of names, none jumped out at me, but that didn't mean she wasn't there somewhere.

 

‘Dammit.  I don't know.  Sorry for waking you.  I'll get out of your hair.’

 

‘No problem.  See you in a few hours.’

 

‘Yeah.  See ya.’

 

I was disappointed but hopeful.  The only way to know for sure would be to ask her and I didn't want to do that in case she had seen it and was still angry, or worse didn't care.

 

Phase two was starting tomorrow and I'd know for sure if she saw any of it, and hopefully know how she felt about it, about me.

 

I was in for another restless night.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M SO SORRY!
> 
> I haven't had any alone time in weeks to be able to sit and write. I couldn't get this chapter to flow how I wanted and I'm still not happy with it. There might be a small wait for the next chapter but I haven't given up!

**September 2 2018**

 

Nothing.  No likes. No comments.  No email. No text. No call.  Nothing from her at all. I'd been posting on Twitter, Instagram, and even Snapchat but she clearly hadn't seen any of it.  

My plan was failing.  Phase two was supposed to at least get us communicating, even if only via social media.  I'd posted photos from Hawaii, Six Flags, Disneyland, all the places we'd been since we met.  They were all scenic photos, nothing of her, I wanted her to know they were for her without the rest of the world knowing.

 

I'd tweeted seemingly random things but they all had meaning to me, to us.  But if she didn't even see any of it, what was the point? Phase three wasn't for a week but it wouldn't go well if we weren't talking, if she was still pissed at me.  I had to get her to see it, but how.

 

‘Dude, you look like shit!’

 

‘Gee thanks Joe,’ I aimed a glare in his direction.

 

‘Operation L.O.M.L not going to plan?’

 

‘Not exactly.  I don't know if she saw the livestream or any of my social media posts.  If she has, she can't care or I'd have heard something from her by now.’

 

‘She could just be busy, or taking time to think it all through.  Plus there's the whole time difference thing. I'm sure if she had seen all the sappy shit you've been sending, she'd have responded.  Give her time.’

 

‘How much time?  Phase three is in a week, I need her to have seen the rest, and preferably to be talking to me before then.’

 

‘I get that, but we can't force this.   _ You _ can't force this.  Don't give up yet.’

 

‘It seems pointless to keep going.’

 

‘Fuck off with that melancholy, woe is me bullshit.  You're better than that. You created this mess and this is your way of fixing it.  So suck it up buttercup and give it everything you've got. If it doesn't work, you know you tried.’

 

‘And failed.’

 

‘Dammit Pete! Stop thinking worst case scenario or you're doomed to fail.  Get it the fuck together and get the woman of your dreams back or so help me God, I will end you.’

 

I stared at Joe in shock.  He wasn't big on emotion but when he cared, he let you know in a big way.  I nodded my head.

 

‘Okay.’

 

* * * *

 

**(Danni POV)**

 

‘No I haven't been on anymore dates, before you ask.’

 

‘Quite a greeting there and thank you for the info but not why I called.’

 

‘Uh huh.’

 

‘When was the last time you went on any social media?’

 

‘Couple days.  Why?’

 

‘You need to login and have a look,’ Sarah vaguely explained. 

 

‘Hang on, I'll put you on speaker.  I'm guessing it's posts about their concert the other day and Patricks speech?’ I'd forwarded her the link and told her what time to fast forward to.

 

‘No.’

 

‘Give me a hint here.’

 

‘Go to Pete's insta.’

 

I pulled up Instagram and found Pete's page.  Sarah knew the second I'd seen it from the sharp breath I sucked in.

 

‘You found it.’

 

‘I..I..’

 

‘Breathe hon.  Tell me what you're thinking.’

 

‘I'm speechless, blown away, and totally in love, regardless of what anyone else wants.’

 

‘Good.’

 

‘Good? Wasn't it you telling me to go on stupid Tinder dates? Pushing me to get out there and try to forget about Pete?’

 

‘No.  I never wanted you to forget about Pete, not for a second.  I wanted you to take some time for yourself to figure it all out away from him so you'd know if it was real love or just you living out your teenage fantasies.’

 

‘I already knew it was real, just no one else seemed to believe me,’ I grumbled.

 

‘I believed you thought that but I also know you, you dive head first into relationships without a breath in between, think you're in love, sometimes you are but sometimes you're just in love with the idea of being in love.  I needed you to be sure before you made a huge life change that's not so easily reverted.’

 

I thought about the sentiment for a moment.  Taking in the meaning. I wanted to be hurt by her assessment of my previous love life, but I couldn't be because it was true, painfully true.  I had made big life changes for love before, but nothing like moving halfway around the world.

 

‘I love you Sarah.  Thank you for being the best best friend I could've ever asked for.’

 

‘I love you too Danni and you're welcome.  Now. What are you gonna do about these posts? There's more on Twitter by the way, and there's been dozens of Snapchats.  I screenshotted them for you just in case.’

 

‘Send em through and let's hatch a plan.’

 

‘And this is why you're my best friend.  You know I love a good scheme.’

 

‘Yes, yes you do.  Now help me figure out how to respond to this.’

 

* * * *

 

‘So you've liked all his posts, across all platforms.  Now to comment and retweet.’

 

It'd been about ten minutes of me liking the dozens of posts on Instagram and Twitter.  Seems like a long time but I also had to read every caption and tweet, followed by getting all emotional and sappy.

 

‘Should I comment on everything or just a few?’

 

‘Just a few.  Pick a couple on Insta and a couple on Twitter.  Always leave them wanting more.’

 

‘Okay hang on.’

 

I was scrolling through his Instagram posts and came across the one from the waterfall in Hawaii.  That was the day this whole thing had really started between us. It would be the first one I commented on.  I quickly typed and read it out to Sarah.

 

‘Perfect.  Which one next?’

 

I'd already decided that I'd comment on a photo from the pre-tour party, from the fourth of July.  It was a gorgeous picture of the L.A. skyline with fireworks going off in the background. It had also been the night I'd sung in front of dozens of industry professionals with Patrick and Brendon.  The night Pete had first had to calm me down in the middle of a panic attack. The night I'd known that I was truly all in.

 

After that was done I moved onto Twitter, scrolling through until I found the perfect tweet to respond to.

 

_ pw _

_ Sixx flags is calling my name _

 

I didn't know if this tweet was specifically for me but I definitely remembered our first trip there.  Between Brendon blatantly flirting with me and what we’d gotten up to later in his car, not to mention the show we accidentally gave B, it had been a memorable day, one of my favorites actually.  It had been fun, exciting, and definitely eye opening. I'd learned a lot about Pete that day, and myself. I knew the perfect reply, so I hit retweet with comment and sent it off.

 

‘Danni?’

 

‘What?’

 

‘You've been silent for like five minutes, you ok?’

 

‘Oh.  Sorry.  Yeah I'm good just sorting through tweets.’

 

‘Have you replied to any?’

 

‘Yup.’

 

‘You didn't even share with me,’ she pouted.

 

‘My bad.  I'm just going to reply to one more then I'll read you what I've said.’

 

‘Fine,’ she huffed but falling silent to give me a few moments.

 

_ pw _

_ Pineapple on pizza is life _

 

Again I wasn't sure if this one was for me but I couldn't help remember the numerous disagreements we’d had about that, so it was the perfect one to respond to with a little tongue in cheek.

 

‘Okay done.’

 

‘I was just about to die of anticipation.   Which one's did you choose and what did you say.’

 

* * * *

 

**(Pete POV)**

 

_ Danni Banani replied to your post  _

 

_ DD W retweeted your tweet _

 

Both of those notifications came through twice plus about a dozen more advising she’d like posts on Instagram and Twitter in the last hour.

 

A huge grin spread over my face.  She'd seen them all finally. Hopefully the comments and retweets were positive.  That thought caused my smile to falter some. I sucked in a breathe and clicked into Instagram first.

 

**_Danni Banani_ ** _ Where my life changed in the best of ways _

 

I let out a huge breath, happiness settling into my bones.  She still cared. She still loved me.

 

**_Danni Banani_ ** _ A tipping point _

 

I wasn't sure what to make of that comment.  It sounded positive and I spent some time thinking back on the party.  She'd sung with Patrick and Brendon, then promptly had a panic attack. I'd been able to help her through it and things with Brendon had sort of come to a head.  I still couldn't guess what the comment meant, if it was good or bad.

 

I moved over to Twitter.

 

**_DD W_ ** _ The craziest place on earth _

 

She wasn't wrong.  That day had been crazy for sure.  Brendon had spent the day hitting on her, which I was not happy about, and then got a free show, which I was still pissed about, then Danni decked him, which made me incredibly happy.  It had been an interesting day.

 

**_DD W_ ** _ A travesty.  You couldn't be more wrong if you tried ;-) _

 

I let out a full belly laugh.  This was a fight we had over and over, yet it never got old.  We were both passionate people with strong beliefs, neither was going to back down and I was ecstatic about it.  Life would never be boring. 

 


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So did everyone get a huge kick out of the FOB content over the weekend!? So wish I could've gone but I digress. So without further ado, here's the next chapter!

**September 3 2018 (Danni POV)**

 

‘Finally finished,’ I exclaimed to no one.  I was standing in the house I'd once shared with Christian and had just packed the last box of my things.  Somehow I'd amassed a ridiculous amount of stuff over the last decade.

 

I did another walkthrough of the house, checking that I hadn't missed anything.  

 

‘I think that's it,’ I whispered as tears clogged my throat.  Not because of the house, or because of Christian, but because of the memories of the good times we’d shared.  Very few in this house, but so many in the one's before. All the furniture had been purchased by the two of us, setting up our life and home together.  I wasn't sad to leave it all, I knew what I was doing was right, but I was sad that we'd thought this was forever only to have it crash and burn. I was going to miss Christian, we’d been friends for years, then lovers, but I knew that we couldn't remain friend's now, it would only give Christian hope and hurt my relationship with Pete. 

 

I found my kitty sleeping on the back of the couch, I was dearly going to miss her but I couldn't take her with me, I'd be so broken if something happened to her during the move.  Because yes, I was still moving to L.A. I gave her a long pat, from head to tail, and scratched the side of her face the way I know she enjoyed. After a final kiss on the head, I left the house and locked the door for the final time.

 

I found my dog in the backyard and said my goodbyes to her as well.  I knew I'd miss my animals, and they would miss me, but this was the best option for them, even if I felt my heart breaking.

 

I left the key in the letterbox, with a letter of goodbye for Christian.  I didn't want to see him again, I knew he'd try to win me back and it wasn't going to work.  So I said all I needed to in the letter and hoped it would be enough for him.

 

I drove to the storage unit I'd hired, there were too many boxes to keep in my hotel room, and dropped off the last of my things.  I'd already donated all the items I wanted to but had only sold a few things, things I wouldn't bring with me. I still had more I wanted to offload, only wanting to bring clothes, a few trinkets, and some books.  I was thinking I'd maybe have a garage sale, out of the storage unit, but I wasn't sure that’d be allowed or that people wouldn't try to rifle through what I was keeping.

 

I could always list stuff on Trademe, but the fees had gotten stupid since it’d been sold off to an Australian company.  I'd spend more on listing and success fees than I'd make. I had a little time to figure it out. I didn't really desperately need the money, though it would've been nice to pad out my savings some more, at least until I started earning money again.

 

I'd gotten an okay payout from my job when I resigned but not as good as it would've been had I not used so much of my annual leave for the wedding, but still a couple weeks worth of wages.  

 

I was currently doing the paperwork to have my retirement fund released but it was going to be a slow process.  The twenty grand would come in handy, but it would be months and months before I saw any of it.

 

I still had my car to sell, not that I'd get more than a couple grand for it, but what I was really counting on was Christian paying me out.  I didn't hold out much hope of him just doing it, no I fully expected to need to get lawyers involved which could take years. Technically we had to be separated for two years before we were legally required to split our assets, but maybe Christian wouldn't be a huge tool.  Not fucking likely. So I had already contacted a lawyer so that there was some paperwork, proof if you will, proving we had separated. I wasn't going to let my ex drag this out any longer than necessary.

 

I had a valuation report from a month or two before the wedding, I'd gotten it for insurance purposes, so there could be no dispute as to the value of our assets towards the end of our relationship.  Thank God for small favours. All in all, I should get somewhere in the realm of twenty thousand when all was said and done. That plus my kiwisaver would set me up nicely, if only I knew I'd get them soon.

 

Still, I had a job with Dustie when I returned, and I wouldn't be paying her exorbitant rent, but I would be paying for insurances, probably a car, and all the other adulty things.

 

I'd never relied on my income alone as an adult, I'd always split bills with Christian, so this was going to be an adjustment but I'd be okay.  Hopefully. 

 

* * * *

 

It was mid afternoon when my phone chimed telling me I had a DM from Pete on Twitter.  We hadn't really had a cause to DM before, usually opting to text, call, or video chat, so I was more than a little curious.

 

**_Pw_ ** _ I miss you _

 

Deep breaths.  God I missed him too.  I could feel my throat tightening with emotion.

 

**_DDW_ ** _ I miss you too _

 

I really didn't want to let him off the hook so easily, he'd hurt me and while I had no intention of hurting him back, I did want to make him realise just how big of an idiot he was.  Still, I wasn't going to lie to him, he needed to know I still cared, and I was not going to ignore him, that would be worse.

 

**_Pw_ ** _ I'm so sorry _

 

**_Pw_ ** _ I was an idiot _

 

**_Pw_ ** _ please forgive me _

 

Quite the understatement, he was an idiot but of course I would forgive him, I pretty much already had, but I wasn't ready to tell him that.  Dammit. I didn't want to lie to him but I also didn't want him to think I was a push over.

 

**_DDW_ ** _ I know you are and yes you were an idiot.  _

 

**_Pw_ ** _ do you forgive me? _

 

Shit.

 

**_DDW_ ** _ I'm trying to. _

 

There that wasn't a lie, not exactly.

 

**_Pw_ ** _ thank you.  I'll do anything and everything I can to fix this.  To prove how sorry I am and how much I love you. Don't give up on me. _

 

**_DDW_ ** _ I won't  _

 

**_Pw_ ** _ I love you princess _

 

**_DDW_ ** _ I love you too _

 

I wouldn't hide that from him.  Ever.

 

* * * * 

( **Pete POV)**

 

‘SHE STILL LOVES ME!’ I yelled, throwing my fist in the air.

 

I was backstage with the guys, waiting for MGK to finish their set.  Three sets of eyes looked over at me as if they thought I was crazy.

 

‘No shit,’ Joe rolled his eyes.

 

‘That was never in doubt,’ Andy agreed.

 

‘The question is.  Does she, or can she, forgive you?’ Patrick asked.

 

‘I hope so.’


	12. Chapter 12

**September 4 2018 (Pete POV)**

 

**_Pw_ ** _ I have a surprise for you _

 

I tapped out the message and hit send before I could second guess my decision.  I was starting phase three and while I wanted it to be mostly a surprise, I did need Danni’s coordination or all my planning would go to shit.

 

**_DDW_ ** _ Do I want to know? _

 

**_Pw_ ** _ I hope so _

 

**_DDW_ ** _ Cryptic _

 

I didn't want to ruin the surprise so I debated on what to reply, what I could say that was safe.

 

**_Pw_ ** _ I've booked you a flight _

 

**_DDW_ ** _ To where? _

 

**_DDW_ ** _ From where? _

 

**_DDW_ ** _ When? _

 

**_DDW_ ** _ Why? _

 

All her questions came in rapid succession and I chuckled.

 

**_Pw_ ** _ If I told you all that it wouldn't be much of a surprise now would it? _

 

**_DDW_ ** _ PETE! IF I'M GETTING ON A PLANE I AT LEAST NEED TO KNOW WHEN, WHERE, WHAT TO PACK! _

 

**_Pw_ ** _ Tomorrow 9am out of Blenheim to Auckland, then a 12pm flight.  No I won't tell you to where but pack light. _

 

**_DDW TOMORROW!?_ **

 

**_Pw_ ** _ Tomorrow _

 

**_DDW_ ** _ THAT'S NOT ENOUGH TIME! HOW LONG WILL I BE GONE? I STILL HAVE SO MUCH TO DO HERE! I CAN'T JUST LEAVE WITHOUT GETTING EVERYTHING SORTED OUT _

 

**_Pw_ ** _ Relax princess. The trip will be as long or as short as you want but I'd like you to commit to five days. _

 

**_DDW_ ** _ Five days? _

 

**_Pw_ ** _ Yes _

 

**_DDW_ ** _ Okay.  I can do five days. _

 

I pumped my fist in the air.  

 

**_Pw_ ** _ You won't regret this _

 

I hope

 

**_Pw_ ** _ Oh and make sure you have your passport. _

 

* * * *

 

**Danni POV**

 

I was racing around my hotel room packing a suitcase, wondering just what Pete was up to.  I was getting on a plane in the morning for places unknown for five days. Was he flying me back to the states? Surely not.  He was still in the middle of touring so flying me to see him sounded just slightly insane and pointless. But where else could he be flying me?  Out of Auckland it could be anywhere.

 

All I knew was it was an international flight and that seriously didn't narrow it down in the least.  I didn't know how I felt about being somewhere on my own for five days, particularly if it was an unfamiliar country.  Oh God! Please be somewhere they speak English!

 

He said to pack light, did that mean pack only a few items, or for warm weather? God I had so many questions and I knew I was unlikely to get answers but I had to try.

 

**_DDW_ ** _  So by pack light, did you mean don't pack much, or that it'll be warm. _

 

I watched dots on screen letting me know he was replying.

 

**_Pw_ ** _ The second one _

 

**_DDW_ ** _ How warm? _

 

**_Pw_ ** _ Warmer than Nz, not as warm as Fiji _

 

**_DDW_ ** _ Great...thanks for that unhelpful explanation _

 

I rolled my eyes to myself.  He wasn't going to give me any information at risk of ruining his surprise.  It was cute but also infuriating because I was so in the dark. I was excited but nervous as hell, I had no idea what to expect, Pete had the tendency to go big and was an expert at being cryptic.  That was part of his appeal even before I'd met and fallen in love with him. His brain worked in such crazy and amazing ways, he was never thinking about just one thing, he was always twenty steps ahead and juggling just as many thoughts and ideas.  To me it seemed exhausting but it was just so him. He was never bored and in turn, neither was anyone who was with him. 

 

Pete could execute a full conversation change in under five seconds that would confuse most people, but his brain made all sorts of connections that most of us wouldn't figure out in decades.  Most people saw a rockstar, a bassist, a lyricist, a sexy smile, and hot body. I saw all of that and his amazing intellect. His brain was as big of a turn on as anything else.

 

‘Okay.  I think that'll have to do.’ I'd packed my small suitcase, not sure if any of it was what I'd want or need, but having no other choice.  

 

I checked the calendar on my phone to make sure I'd rescheduled everything over the next week.  I had. I suddenly realised that I didn't want to keep paying for a room that I wasn't going to be in, nor did I want to leave my stuff unattended for a week.

 

I headed to the hotel office and let them know I'd be checking out in the morning but that I'd be back in a week. They updated my booking and made sure I had the hotel details in case I needed to change it again.  I hoped I wouldn't, but I really had no idea.

 

When I made it back to my room I packed the rest of my things.  I would take it to my storage locker in the morning on my way to the airport.

 

With that task completed, I had nothing left to do before dinner and sleep.  So naturally I called Sarah.

 

‘Hey hussy,’ she answered.

 

‘Hey bitchface.’

 

‘What's going on?’

 

‘Nothing.  You?’

 

‘Nothing my ass.  I can hear your nervous excitement.  So I repeat, what's going on?’

 

‘I'm leaving tomorrow.’

 

‘Blenheim? Good, I didn't understand why you'd stay there for so long when all you needed to do was pack your shit and..'

 

‘Not just Blenheim,’ I interrupted her.

 

‘Leaving to where?’ she asked curiously.

 

‘I don't know.’

 

‘What do you mean you don't know?’ I could see the hand on her hip and quirked brow, even though we were miles apart.

 

‘Pete booked me a flight out tomorrow.  He didn't tell me where.’

 

‘Oh my God.’

 

‘I know,’ I agreed.

 

‘Danni?’

 

‘Yes Sarah?’

 

‘This is big.’

 

‘Why do you say that?’ I'd told her we'd been talking, and she knew I'd forgiven him.

 

‘He's flying you to him because he can't handle not being with you.  He's in love with you and is trying to make sure you know it.’

 

‘How do you know he's flying me to see him?  And I already know he loves me, he doesn't need to prove it.’

 

‘Where else would he fly you?’

 

‘Idunno.  Greece?’ I shrugged even though she couldn't see it.

 

‘Yeah I'm so sure he's flying you to Greece, home of some of the hottest men on the planet,’ I could hear the eyeroll.  ‘No. He's flying you to him. Without a doubt.’

 

‘But he's on tour and they have that big Chicago thing going on this weekend.’

 

‘I know that.  That just makes this even more important.   Just you wait.’

  
  
  
  
  



	13. Chapter 13

**September 5 2018**

 

‘Hey, there should be a ticket here for me, Danni Williams?’  I'd just arrived at the service counter at Auckland airport. Pete has refused to give me any further details but had told me that my tickets would be available from the service desks, it had been in Blenheim, so I assumed it would be here too.

 

‘Ah, yes we’ve been waiting for you Miss Williams,’ the woman behind the counter answered.

 

‘Do you...do you know where I’m going?’ I asked cautiously, it must be weird for passengers to have no idea of their destination.

 

‘Of course I do,’ she said with a smile.

 

I waited for her to continue, assuming she was going to tell me, when she said nothing further I decided to ask.

 

‘And um...where am I going?’

 

‘We have strict instructions to not inform you of your final destination.  You’ll just have to wait and see.’

 

‘But.  Won’t I find out when I get to my gate?’  And surely the ticket had my destination on it.

 

‘Nope, not this time.  You’re flying privately, so you’ll be leaving from a private gate.  And before you ask, the destination isn’t on your ticket, and the pilot and crew have instructions not to let it slip until you arrive.  All a part of the surprise.’

 

I looked at her stunned, mouth agape, eyebrows in my hairline.

 

‘You’re fiance has gone to a lot of trouble to make sure this is a surprise for you.  He’s a keeper sweetheart, don’t let him get away.’

 

I smiled and blushed, she had no idea just how right she was. ‘Don’t worry, I have no intention of letting him get away from me, ever.’

 

‘Good girl.  Now let me escort you to the private gate lounge, you’ve got a couple hours to kill, so if you want to get in some duty free shopping, feel free.  There will be someone who can escort you back and forth so you don’t miss the flight.’

 

‘Thank you,’ I replied, completely overwhelmed by what was going on around me.

 

‘Don’t thank me, thank that fiance of yours.’

 

‘I will.’

 

* * * *

 

‘Miss Williams?’ my escort called to me as I was browsing through racks of clothes in one of the duty free stores.

 

‘Yes Carl?’

 

‘We should get back to the gate, you’ll be boarding in about twenty minutes.’

 

‘Okay, let's go,’ I turned towards the entrance of the store.

 

‘Did you want to make a purchase before we go?’

 

‘No, I got what I needed, I was just killing time browsing.’  I’d picked up a couple bottles of liquor, a book, and a few knickknacks that I thought would make good Christmas presents for various friends and family.

 

‘Very well, follow me please.’

 

I followed Carl through duty free and back to the private gate I would be boarding from, it took us nearly ten minutes to get back, leaving me only another ten before I was due to board.  I was starting to get anxious and nervous, not due to the flight but due to the not knowing what was going on, or even where I was going. I was more excited than I had possibly ever been in my life.

 

I noticed my bags were missing, I’d left them with the attendant at the gate.  She smiled when she noticed me looking.

 

‘Your bags have been loaded onto the plane already Miss Williams.’

 

‘Oh.  Thank you, and please, call me Danni.’

 

‘As you wish Danni,’ she smiled again.  I had already told them all to call me Danni, but they all seemed to revert to calling me Miss Williams, as if it was ingrained in them to remain formal with all passengers.  Possibly that was the case, considering they were all stationed at the private gate, they probably got a lot of distinguished and important people coming through who would expect a certain level of formality and respect.  It made me uncomfortable because I certainly wasn’t important and I felt incredibly out of place. I wanted to ask them if I could switch to a commercial flight, but I knew there was no way that they would allow that, not after Pete had given such specific instructions and gone to so much effort to engineer this surprise.

 

‘Miss Wil..Danni, would you like to board the plane now?’ the attendant asked, I noticed she had almost called me Miss Williams again and appreciated her effort to call me Danni, as per my request.

 

‘Absolutely,’ I smiled back.

 

‘Follow me, please.’  She turned and headed for the door that lead out to the tarmac.  I could see the small private plane just ahead and followed her to the steps that lead up to the interior.

 

‘Mind your head at the top and do enjoy.’

 

I smiled and inclined my head in thanks before ascending the stairs carefully.  I ducked my head as I moved into the plane, not that I needed to, I was short enough to go under without that small movement.  An air steward was just inside and he smiled as I straightened.

 

‘Good afternoon Miss Williams.  Please have a seat, anywhere you’d like.  Would you like me to show you all the amenities?’ he asked.

 

‘Please, call me Danni, and yes, that would be wonderful.’

 

‘Very good Danni.  My name is Simon, I’ll be your steward on this flight, our pilot is Gerald Teak, and the co-pilot is David Smith.  They will be out shortly to introduce themselves to you, in the meantime, follow me and I will show you the amenities on board.’

 

I followed him further into the bowels of the plane, depositing my handbag on a seat on the right hand side of the plane, there were only six seats in total, but they were all spacious and looked comfortable, I picked one in the middle, so I could see out the window without the wing being in the way.

 

Simon showed me the bathroom towards the rear of the plane, much bigger than the average bathroom on a plane, with a full toilet, sink, and even a small enclosed shower.  Across from the bathroom was another door, behind that was a small private bedroom. It contained a queen sized bed and a dresser, with a door towards the back that I assumed was a closet.  I noticed my bag near the bed.

 

‘If you get tired during the flight and can’t get comfortable in the seats, you are more than welcome to sleep in here,’ Simon explained.

 

‘Wow.  This is.  Wow.’

 

‘It’s pretty impressive, not all private planes have this level of comfort.  Your fiance was very specific that he wanted the best of the best for you.’

 

‘I’ll have to make sure to thank him properly,’ I replied, blushing as I realised just how that sounded.

 

Simon merely smirked slightly before showing me where he would be stationed, right at the back of the plane, near the galley kitchen.

 

‘Simon?’ I asked.

 

‘Yes, Danni?’

 

‘Would it...would it be okay for you to sit with me further up?’ 

 

‘It’s not normally done that way, most passengers prefer not to interact closely with the staff, but if you would like me to, I would be happy to join you.’

 

‘I would feel more comfortable if I had someone to talk to, someone nearby.’

 

‘I will be more than happy to sit up front with you.  Are you a nervous flyer Danni?’

 

‘No, not really.  I don’t really like takeoff and landing, but I’m usually fine.  I just don’t know how long this flight is and I don’t know that I’ll want to read or watch a movie the entire time, it would be nice to have company.’

 

Simon smiled and nodded his head towards the front of the plane, indicating I should head to my seat.  As we got back to the seating area, I noticed two other people standing there, obviously the pilot and co-pilot.  They smiled as I approached.

 

‘Miss Williams, nice to have you onboard today.  I’m you pilot today Gerald Teak, and this is my co-pilot David Smith.’  I smiled at both men and shook their hands as they offered them to me.

 

‘Please call me Danni.’

 

‘Of course.’

 

‘Can you tell me where I’m going?’

 

They both smiled and shook their heads in the negative.  I wouldn’t be finding out from them until we arrived it seemed, just as Pete had planned.

 

‘What we can tell you, is that the flight will be seventeen hours, including a refueling stop, so make sure that you get some sleep.  We will let you know about an hour before our final landing, in case you would like to shower.’

 

My eyes bugged out.  I’d never been on such a long flight.  Auckland to L.A. was twelve to thirteen hours, depending on weather.  I’d once flown via Fiji and even that flight had only taken fifteen hours including a two hour stopover.  Seventeen hours was a long time. I could understand now why Pete has insisted on such a luxurious plane, a commercial flight might’ve been hellish for that long.

 

‘I’ll bring you lunch shortly after takeoff, and then dinner at six, if that suits?’

 

‘Yeah, yeah that’s fine.  Thank you Simon.’

 

‘And I’ll make sure to have breakfast ready for you before our fuel stop.  Do you have any specific requests for any meals?’

 

‘Uh..no.  Whatever you have is fine.  Just, maybe keep the meals light, I’m not sure I could handle anything heavy right now.  I’m still a little nervous,’ I replied.

 

‘Not a problem Danni.  And please don’t be nervous, we will take excellent care of you.’

 

‘I don’t doubt that,’ I nodded, ‘but I’m still so in the dark.  I have absolutely zero idea where I’m going or what will happen when I get there.  I like surprises but this is...this in on a whole other level.’

 

‘Yes, this is definitely the most elaborate surprise I have ever witnessed before, but from what I know of this part of it, you won’t be disappointed,’ Simon smiled softly at me.

 

‘Well, we should get this bird in the air.  Danni, if you’d like to get strapped in and we can get in the air.  Simon, would you like to bring Danni up once we’ve leveled off? I think she might like to see the cockpit,’ Gerald spoke for the first time since the introductions.

 

‘Of course,’ Simon nodded.

 

‘Really?’  I asked, ‘I get to come to the cockpit?’ My eyes were wide and I was even more excited now.

 

‘Absolutely, you can spend as much or as little time up there during our flight as you like.’

 

‘Thanks you,’ I all but whispered, taken away by the hospitality of these men.  It didn’t matter that Pete had requested I be looked after completely, what mattered was that these men were more than happy to do that and more.  They seemed genuinely happy to have me on board and wanted to make my flight as comfortable and fun as they could. I didn’t know if Pete had picked the staff himself or not, but they were all perfect in their roles.  I was feeling more comfortable each minute. I could do this.

 

Whatever this was.


	14. Chapter 14

**September 5 2018 cont.**

 

‘Chicago?’

 

‘Yes ma’am.’

 

‘Chicago?’

 

‘Yes?’

 

‘CHICAGO?!’ I asked again, my excitement bursting out.

 

‘I take it that you approve?’ Simon chuckled at my outburst.

 

‘Oh my God!  Yes! Oh my God!  I can’t believe it!  I was so upset that I was going to miss the show at Wrigley and the Mania experience, not that I’d planned to go at any stage, but I was still disappointed that I wouldn’t be able to make it.  Oh my God! That man!’

 

‘He does seem more than a little amazing and I am insanely jealous.  I wish I had a guy to go to crazy lengths just to make me happy.’

 

‘You’ll find someone Simon, I know you will.  You’re a sweet, kind, gorgeous guy, don’t settle for anything less than what you deserve.’

 

‘Thanks Danni.  Now, get that keister off this plane and let Pete sweep you off your feet.’

 

‘Yes sir,’ I saluted Simon before pulling him into a big hug and thanking him.

 

I disembarked quickly to find a stretch limo waiting for me on the tarmac.  An older gentleman, in what I assumed was a full chauffeur's uniform, had a sign with my name on it.

 

‘Miss Williams?’ he enquired as I walked up to him.

 

‘That would be me, please call me Danni.’

 

‘Of course Danni, right this way,’ he opened the rear door for me and offered me a hand in assistance.  I slid into the seat and he closed the door behind me. I gasped as the extravagance of the interior. It was all dark leather, with a chrome and black mini fridge, which I presumed was full of liquor.  There was enough room for ten people, easy, but I was the only one inside. I had hoped Pete would be inside, but I knew that he was busy and still had shows to perform before Wrigley on Saturday night. What was inside with me, was a huge bouquet of roses, pink roses.  Not red, but pink. My favourite colour and my favourite flower. Not least because my middle name is rose. He’d truly thought of everything.

 

I moved to the flowers and inhaled deeply.  They smelled glorious. I noticed a small card tucked in the middle of the bouquet.

 

_ Princess, _

 

_ I’m sorry I couldn’t be there to greet you, I would’ve if I could’ve.  I have booked you a spa appointment for the afternoon, massage, facial, mani, and pedi, if you want to get anything else while there, you need only ask them.  I love you so much and really hope that my surprise for you makes you happy. _

 

_ I’ll see you soon. _

 

_ Yours, _

_ Pete _

 

Tears burned behind my eyes, while a smile played at my lips.  I was still in awe of what Pete had arranged for me, all to apologise for trying to push me away.  If I hadn’t already forgiven him, I certainly would have after all he had done, and my day had barely started, considering I hadn’t even arrived at the spa yet.  It wasn’t that he had spent so much money, or arranged all these extravagant surprises, it was that he had wanted to do it for me, to show me he loved me and was sorry.  He could’ve sent me an email from the heart and it would’ve achieved the same result, but Pete was a go big or go home kinda guy and while I felt that it was often too much, it was something I needed to get used to.  I didn’t want to change him or appear ungrateful, I loved him, warts and all. If he wanted to shower me in spa days, random private flights to unknown locations, I would let him because it made him happy to be able to do those things for me, and when he was happy, I was happy.  Usually.

 

* * * *

 

**(Pete POV)**

 

I received confirmation when Danni arrived in Chicago, I desperately wanted to be there but I couldn’t let the band, or our fans down.  I had a show tonight, and another tomorrow night, after that nothing until the Wrigley show on Saturday, where I had another major surprise for Danni.  I would fly straight to Chicago after the show tomorrow night and I would finally get to see Danni for the first time in weeks. I would finally be able to apologise in person, take her into my arms and show her just how sorry I am, how much I missed her, how much I love her.  

 

I wanted to go to her now, or at least talk to her, but I knew I couldn't, not yet.  Soon. There were still surprises for her, they would be revealed over the next day and a half, with the biggest happening on Saturday.  I would be with her on Friday and Saturday, most of the time, and I wasn’t sure how I would keep my excitement in check and not spill the beans.  I’d put so much effort into these few days and if I spoiled it at the last minute...well I didn’t think I’d handle that at all. Not to mention the mockery I would be sure to sustain from the guys.  They knew the whole plan, they also knew that I was just about fizzing about Saturday night and that when I got in a state like that, it was common for me to just blurt out whatever was on my mind. I would have to be careful not to do that around Danni.  This was too important.

 

This whole plan had been put into place to prove to Danni that I was sorry and how much I loved her, now it was more than that.  She’d already hinted that I was forgiven, and that she knew I loved her. Now it was just about showing the world how much she meant to me.  This was big. Generally speaking, I’m usually fairly quiet about my personal life. I don’t like to feed the tabloids, not after what happened with my first marriage.  This would be huge. 

 

Hopefully Danni wouldn’t be mad about what was going to happen, she wasn’t used to dealing with paps or fans yet, but after Saturday night, she would find it very hard to remain out of the public eye.  I was sure that I wanted to continue with this, but also afraid that it could possibly backfire on me. I didn’t want to lose her because I went to far with trying to apologise and show my love, but it was a risk I was willing to take.  The world needed to know. Danni Williams is and will forever be, my soulmate.

 

* * * *

 

**(Danni POV)**

 

The spa was incredible.  I got a hot stone massage, a mud wrap, and a facial over the span of three hours.  That was followed up with a manicure and pedicure, which included a hand and foot massage.  I was so relaxed afterwards that all I wanted to do was sink into a nice soft mattress and sleep.  That could also be a bit of jetlag talking and since it was only four o’clock, I would have to keep myself awake for at least another five hours or I would be useless the following day.  I didn’t want to miss out on any of what Pete had planned for me, so sleeping the day away was not an option.

 

I bid farewell to the amazing staff and walked back out to the waiting limo.

 

‘Where now Geoffrey?’ I asked the driver as he opened the rear door for me.

 

‘I was told to take you to the hotel so that you could settle in and maybe sleep for a few hours.’

 

‘I don’t think I should sleep, at least not yet.  I slept on the flight and I’d like to try to stay awake until nine tonight, so I’m not up at three am and then bone tired in the middle of the day tomorrow.’

 

‘Of course Miss Danni.  Shall we drop off your things and get your room key, and then maybe an early dinner?’

 

‘That sounds good Geoffrey.  Though…’

 

‘Yes ma’am?’ he asked curiously.

 

‘Would it be possible for you to take me to see Wrigley Stadium and a few of the other sites.’

 

‘Anything in particular you’d like to see?’

 

‘Ummm anything and everything?  I realise a lot of places will probably close soon, but I’d like to at least see the Magnificent Mile, Buckingham Fountain, Grant Park, and maybe the Navy Pier?’

 

‘I think we could manage that.  We can do Wrigley Field first, then Navy Pier, it stays open late, then onto Buckingham Fountain, and finally Grant Park.  We should be able to get that all in, but you may want to stop for dinner before we get all of that done. Just let me know.’  Geoffrey had been driving a limo for more than fifteen years, and had lived in Chicago for at least twenty, so I knew he would know the best way to fit all four stops in with the least amount of travel required.  He was a fount of knowledge was ole Geoffrey.

 

‘That sounds great Geoffrey.  How far is the hotel from Wrigley?’

 

‘Ten to fifteen minutes, it’s actually pretty close to the Navy Pier though.’

 

‘So what do you think about maybe going from here straight to Wrigley, then the Pier, then I can check into the hotel, maybe have dinner there, then go on to the last two?’

 

‘That sounds like a very good idea Miss Danni.’

 

‘Would you um...would you join me for dinner?  I don’t really want to eat alone and I know you’ll need something to eat too.’

 

‘I would be delighted to join you.’

 

‘Perfect.’


	15. Chapter 15

**September 6 2018**

  


The next morning I was up with the birds.  Geoffrey and I had gotten back to the hotel at around nine pm and I had been asleep by nine thirty.  A party animal I was not, at least not when combating jet lag. I had loved every second of my mini tour the night before, but all I really wanted was to see Pete.  I’d talked to him briefly the night before, but he’d had to cut our conversation short. He did have a show to play. Still, I missed him. I knew I’d be seeing him tomorrow, but that felt too far away.  It had already been weeks since I’d seen him and knowing he was so close and yet so far, did not make this easier. But I would just have to suck it up and wait. I didn’t know if Pete had anything planned for me today, he hadn’t said (unsurprising really), so even though it was only seven in the morning I decided to call down for room service and catch a quick shower while I waited for breakfast.  I did not want to be caught out in my jammies if there was somewhere I was meant to be early.

  


I’d just gotten out of the shower and thrown on a robe when I heard a knock at the door.  I rushed to let in, what I was sure was my breakfast. It was, with an added benefit. It wasn’t a porter delivering my pancakes and bacon.  It was Pete, with a huge smile on his face.

  


‘PETE!  WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?’

  


‘I couldn’t wait until tomorrow to see you.’

  


‘What about the show tonight?’

  


‘I’ll be back in time, it’s not that far from here, especially if you jump on a quick flight.’

  


I smiled like a lunatic, I was just so happy.  Suddenly, I realised he was still standing out in the hallway.

  


‘Oh shit, sorry, get in here!’ I moved away from the door so he could push the cart in and close the door behind him.  Before he’d even managed to completely turn back to face me I launched myself into his arms.

  


‘I missed you so, so much,’ I breathed against his neck.

  


‘I missed you too princess.  I am so sorry.’

  


‘I know you are, you idiot.  Now shut up and kiss me.’

  


He didn’t need to be told twice.  Our lips connected and the sparks that I’d missed, lit up throughout my body.  I didn’t realise how empty I had felt until this moment. He was a part of me and when he wasn’t with me, when we were fighting, it felt like I’d lost something, something very important.  It was finally back and I felt peace and love.

  


‘I love you,’ I said when we finally parted.

  


‘I love you too.’

  


‘How long can you stay?’

  


‘I need to leave at five so I’m there with enough time to get to the venue and get ready.’

  


‘Okay so I have you for a little over nine hours.  I can work with that. What do you wanna do?’

  


‘I have a few ideas,’ he smirked at me.

  


‘I’ll just bet you do.  Luckily for you, I have those same ideas,’ I smiled seductively at him.

  


I grabbed his hand and began walking towards the bedroom of my suite but I only made it two steps when he swept me off my feet.  Like actually swept me off my feet and into his arms.

  


‘We’ve been apart for way too long and I need to hold you,’ he explained as he placed kisses all over my face and hair.

  


‘You’ll get no complaints from me,’ I replied breathlessly.  He’d barely touched me and I was already well worked up. No one else could get me going quite like Pete.

  


By the time we hit the bedroom I was ready to beg him to touch me, taste me, take me.  I didn’t get a chance to say any of that. He threw me on the bed and crawled over top of me, a hungry look in his eyes.

  


‘I wanted this to be a slow reunion.  I wanted to relearn all your dips and hollows, all the places that make you squirm and cry out, but I don’t think I can take this slow.  So I apologise.’

  


‘Slow isn’t going to work for me anyway, so you don’t need to apologise.  What you do need to do, is get naked and fuck me.’

  


‘Abso-fucking-lutely,’ he replied, quickly jumping off the bed and stripping down to his birthday suit.  I’d planned to remove my robe while he was undressing but I’d forgotten just how gorgeous he was. I’d missed every part of him, his sexy body included.  Not to mention his rock hard friend that was currently pointing in my direction. I licked my lips, wanting a taste, but Pete had other ideas, ideas which I was very much on board with.

  


My robe was untied and gapping wide in moments, Pete’s mouth was on mine, tongue thrusting deep as his hand palmed my breast, the other propping him up.  I moaned into his mouth, overcome with need. I reached my hand between us and took hold of him, stroking up and down, feeling him grow even harder in my hand.  He lifted his mouth from mine.

  


‘If you keep doing that, this isn’t going to go at all how I’d planned.’

  


‘Are you saying that you’re going to blow your load like a teenager getting his first handjob?’

  


‘That’s exactly what I’m saying.’

  


‘Well that just won’t do,’ I replied, removing my hand slowly.

  


His hand moved from my breast, trailing down my stomach.  He stroked my folds before plunging a finger inside.

  


‘So wet, so tight.  I’ve missed this.’

  


‘Me too,’ I breathed out.  

  


He removed his finger and I cried out at the loss but was quickly filled to capacity as he drove in fast and hard.  I cried out in ecstasy this time. He stilled for a moment, allowing my body to accommodate to his size, we were both already breathing raggedly.  I was close, so very close to coming just from a single thrust.

  


‘I missed you so much,’ Pete said looking directly into my eyes.  ‘I am so sorry for being an idiot, I don’t know what I was thinking but it felt like I was ripping my own heart out when I told you to date other guys.  Please don’t do that. Ever.’

  


‘I forgive you, I will always forgive you, even when you do stupid shit like try to push me away.  I only want you. I only love you. Always.’

  


He kissed me slow and deep, his tongue stroking my own, our mouths making love to each other.  He began to move inside me, slowly for a few thrusts before the sensations became to much for both of us.  His mouth moved to my neck as his thrusts picked up speed and intensity. The headboard was hitting the wall so fiercely I was worried we’d make a dent.  That thought only lasted seconds because my orgasm hit with such force that my back arched completely off the bed, my breath caught in my lungs, and every muscle in my body clenched down hard.  I dimly heard Pete growl as he followed me to heaven.

  


Minutes, or maybe hours later, all my senses returned and my body relaxed into the bed.  My breathing was rough and shallow, my bones felt like liquid, and my thoughts were scattered to the wind.

  


‘Wow.’

  


‘Yeah.’

  


‘Wow.’

  


Pete chuckled.  His body was still draped over mine, and he was still encased within me.  He slowly withdrew, eliciting dual moans and rolled onto his side facing me.

  


‘That was better than I remember,’ he murmured, running his fingers through my mussed hair.

  


‘I agree.  I don’t know if it’s cause it was makeup sex or because it's been so long.’

  


‘Maybe a bit of both,’ he replied.

  


‘Mmmmm.  Apparently, we need to fight more.  And go without sex more often.’

  


‘Fuck no.’

  


‘Agreed.’  We both laughed.  We were like horny teenagers at the best of times.  Going without sex wasn’t something either of us was going to be accepting of, let alone actively seeking celibacy.  Even if for only a short period of time.

  


‘Breakfast?’ Pete asked.

  


‘Abso-fucking-lutely, though I’m not sure what you’re going to eat, I only ordered enough for myself.’

  


‘Oh don’t you worry about me.  I’ll have plenty to eat,’ his wicked grin gave me a pretty good indication that he wasn’t talking about pancakes and bacon.

  


‘I like where your mind is, but mama needs some food if we’re going to be in bed all day.’

  


‘Fair enough.  I’ll feed you before I feed on you.’  He dropped a kiss to my lips before hopping up and sauntering off to get the breakfast that we’d left on the cart by the door.  I really enjoyed watching him walk away, and I enjoyed it even more when I got to watch him walk back.

  


This was going to be an exhausting, yet excellent day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FINALLY!


	16. Chapter 16

**September 6 2018 cont.**

 

We didn’t surface from the hotel room until midday and only because we were hungry and didn’t want to order room service.  Pete wanted to take me to one of his favorite pizza places, Lou Malnati’s. I’d heard him talk about it often and I was more than happy to give it a try, it also happened to be incredibly close to the hotel so we could walk and I could get in a little sightseeing.  The pizzeria was also half way between the hotel and the magnificent mile, I hadn’t really gotten to see much of it the night before, so I was happy for a chance to check it out in daylight.

 

Pete and I had taken some time to actually talk things through while we ate.  He’d explained his reasoning and it all boiled down to his own neurosis, his word not mine.  Basically, his brain was telling him to let me go so that I didn’t hate him in the future for missing out.  What his brain had failed to take into account was his feelings, and mine. I’ll be the first to admit that I hadn’t intended to jump from one serious relationship straight into another.  I had never thought I’d be the kind of woman who would go from being engaged to one guy, to being engaged to a completely different guy within a couple months. I wasn’t the type to flit from relationship to relationship, but I didn’t usually move to serious commitment that quickly.  Things with Pete were just different, in every sense. I felt comfortable with him from the first moment he sat beside me on that beach in Hawaii. I felt like I had known him forever and could tell him anything. I trusted him more than I’d maybe ever trusted anyone else, including Christian.  I loved him more than I’d ever loved anything else. I guess when all the pieces of the puzzle fit, time is of no consequence.

 

I’d explained all that to Pete while we talked and by the end, our concerns were gone.  Pete was no longer worried that I’d resent him, I wasn’t waiting for him to try to push me away again, and we could move forward.  Even with all that, Pete still said he had surprises lined up for me tomorrow and Saturday. I told him if I wasn’t getting to attend the Wrigley show, I was leaving him.  He chuckled and told me that there was no way I was going to miss it. That was ultimately where his final surprise was going to take place. I was worried. What the hell did he have in mind?  If he tried to get me on stage to sing in front of thousands of people, I might kill him, a fact I advised him of quickly. He assured me that no, I would not have to sing unless I wanted to. I had no idea why he thought I might want to sing on stage, EVER, but Pete always told me that I could make a real career from singing.  I had my doubts. Sure I could carry a tune, and I loved to sing, but stage fright is real. So real.

 

I tried to pry more information out of him but he sufficiently distracted me for the next few hours, and he’d hear no complaints from me in regards to his methods.

 

‘What time are you back tomorrow?’ I asked.

 

‘Actually, I’ll be back late tonight.  I’m going directly from the show to the airport, so I expect to be back in Chicago by midnight.’

 

‘Where are you staying?’

 

‘I hoped, if all went well, with you.’

 

‘Hmmmmm, pretty presumptuous there Mr. Wentz,’ I teased.

 

‘I figured if all else failed, I could crash in Tricks room.’

 

‘Isn’t Eliza here?  And the boys?’

 

‘Yeah we would’ve been cramped.’

 

‘It’s a good thing it all worked out then isn’t it?’ I asked smiling up at him.

 

‘It’s a very, very good thing it all worked out.’

 

Pete drew me into him and planted a kiss on my lips.  When he lifted his head, he tucked a strand of hair behind my ear as he spoke.  ‘God I’ve missed you. I don’t know how I’m going to survive until you’re back with me full time.’

 

‘Full time?’

 

‘Yes, as in twenty four seven.’

 

‘Pete?’

 

‘I know you were talking about moving in with Dustie, but I don’t think I’ll be able to handle not having you beside me every night.  I want you to move in with me.’

 

Tears welled in my eyes.  I couldn’t quite understand why this was making me so emotional when I hadn’t even cried during our conversation this morning.

 

‘Shhhh.  Don’t cry princess.  I can’t handle it when you cry,’ he murmured as his thumbs stroked over my cheeks, catching my tears.

 

‘They're happy tears, I promise.  I’d love to move in with you Pete.’

 

‘I sense a but.’

 

‘I’m going to be working for Dustie, so even if I live with you, I won’t be with you all the time.  You’ll have times when either you’re on tour, or making the rounds for T.V. things and I won’t be able to come with you.  I can’t just take off to follow you around the country or the world. Not to mention, I imagine you have plans to take some sort of holiday once the tour is over and there’s no way I’ll be able to come with you.  I’m not even entirely sure I’ll be back in L.A. by then.’

 

Pete frowned, clearly not having thought of all the practicalities of our situation.  He was so used to being able to do what he wanted to, when he wanted to for the most part, that he hadn’t factored in my work responsibilities.

 

‘What if you didn’t go to work for Dustie?’

 

‘Where would I work?  I can’t not work Pete, and not simply because I don’t like feeling like a freeloader but because I’d get bored.’

 

‘I’m sure I could keep you entertained.’

 

‘I have no doubt, but it’s not the same and you know it.  If you couldn’t take time to write and play music, you’d get bored.  Work is the same for me, sure it might not be my passion, but everyone has to have the ability to get out of their head, their house, and forget all the daily stress.  Not to mention, I’ve already told Dustie I’d come work for her and she’s in the process of arranging my position within the company. I can’t ask her to change all that because I’m flaking out.  I won’t do that to her.’

 

‘I understand, I don’t really like that it means I won’t get to have you with me all the time, but I do understand.  It doesn’t change my offer of living with me though.’

 

‘It doesn’t change my answer either, which is absolutely, one hundred percent, I want to move in with you.’

 

Pete’s smile was so big, I was worried he’d pull a cheek muscle, but damn if I wasn’t wearing the same expression.

 

‘I love you Danni.’

 

‘I love you too Pete.’

 

* * * *

 

**(Pete POV)**

 

I didn’t want to leave after our day together, and I knew Danni didn’t want me to go, but at least I wouldn’t only be gone for a few hours, rather than a few weeks.  I was sitting on the plane half an hour out of Chicago, when I decided to call Trick.

 

‘Good day?’

 

‘Yeah it was great.  I can’t believe I nearly lost her.’

 

‘I can’t believe it either, but you fixed it and it’s all good now.  Right?’

 

‘Yeah, it’s all good,’ I replied.

 

‘You still sticking with the rest of the plan?’

 

‘Yup, that’s why I called.  Is everything set up?’

 

‘Yeah I checked with all the crew earlier, everything should go exactly to plan tomorrow and Saturday.’

 

‘Awesome.’

 

‘Are you sure this is the right idea?’ Patrick asked.

 

‘I think so.  I hope so.’

 

‘You’d better be sure man.  If you have any reservations, you should call it off.’

 

‘Of course I have reservations.  I have no idea how she’s going to respond to it all, but it’s something I have to do.’

 

‘I hope you’re right man, for your sake and hers.’

 

‘Me too Trick, me too.’

 


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was too lazy to edit so I apologise for any mistakes you may find.

**September 7 2018**

 

I woke up cocooned in warmth but with something poking me in the lower back.  It took my sleepy brain longer than I’d care to admit, to figure out just what it was.

 

‘Morning Princess.’

 

‘Morning Pete, I didn’t hear you come in.’

 

‘You were out cold and I didn’t want to wake you.’

 

‘Yeah that jetlag is a real bitch, I think I passed out at like nine last night,’ I replied.

 

‘Hopefully it’s not too bad, I’ve got a busy couple days planned for us.’

 

‘I think I’m over the worst of it, and even if I wasn’t, I’m not about to miss a second of my time with you,’ I rolled to face Pete and placed a soft kiss to his lips.

 

‘Mmmmm.  I’ve missed this.’

 

‘Me too.’

 

Pete kissed me again, deeply.  Our kissing quickly turned heated and soon our bodies were completely intertwined.  We moved together, pushing and pulling, to and fro. Both chasing the light, flying towards the heavens, and loving every second of the journey.  Loving each other.

 

‘The best start to the day,’ I murmured when my breathing began to even out.

 

‘The best part of any day,’ Pete countered.

 

‘Do we have a schedule for the day?’

 

‘Not exactly, but we do have to be somewhere at nine thirty.’

 

‘“Somewhere”.  Sounds mysterious.’

 

‘Not mysterious exactly, just a further surprise for you,’ he explained.

 

‘How many more surprises are there?’

 

‘Two.  Maybe three.’

 

‘How can you not know?’ I asked with a laugh.

 

‘Well I have two more surprises planned, but there are additional elements that could be considered surprises of their own.’

 

‘Riiiiight.’

 

‘You’ll understand.’

 

‘I sure hope so,’ I mused, ‘since we don’t have anywhere to be for,’ I checked my watch, ‘two hours, what do you think about a leisurely breakfast in bed?’

 

‘I think that sounds like the best idea I’ve heard for a long time,’ he replied.

 

‘I’m glad you agree.’

 

* * * * 

 

Two hours later we were standing in front of a glass fronted building with ‘Coyne’ in huge letters on top of a steel structure jutting from the front of the building.

 

‘Is this what I think it is?’

 

‘It depends on what you think it is,’ Pete quipped.

 

‘Is this the Mania Experience?’

 

‘Could be,’ he smirked.

 

‘Oh.  My. God.  It is!’ I clapped my hands together excitedly.

 

‘I take it you approve?’

 

‘Do I ever!  I was so upset that I was going to miss this.  Especially since you wouldn’t even give me any clues!  I was going to have to wait and learn about it all with everyone else!’

 

‘I’m glad you’re excited and I  _ was _ going to bring you here, even if we hadn’t had a fight.  The flight you took here had actually been booked for weeks.’

 

‘Seriously?’

 

‘Yup.  I was going to fly you in for this and the show, then fly you home a couple days later.’

 

‘So what did you change after our fight?’

 

‘I made it a complete surprise.  I was going to tell you about it before it happened.  Plus, your final surprise, tomorrow, wasn’t planned at all.’

 

‘And I guess the concert speech and social media posts you did before this weren’t planned?’

 

‘Yeah.  That wasn’t in the cards at all until our fight.’

 

‘Makes sense.’

 

‘Are you mad?’ Pete seemed suddenly worried.

 

‘What?  No! Why would I be mad?’

 

‘Because I didn’t plan this just to apologise,’ he explained.

 

‘No.  I actually feel better about it all knowing that you’d planned to bring me here before, not just because we fought.  I was thinking it was a hell of a lot of money to spend just to apologise.’

 

‘It would be, but even if it was for that reason, you’re worth all of that and more.’

 

I lifted up on my toes and pressed a soft kiss to his lips.

 

‘Thank you.’

 

‘Thank you,’ he replied.

 

‘For?’ I asked.

 

‘For forgiving me.  For loving me. For not letting me push you away.  For understanding me.’

 

‘You’re welcome, though, I will never claim to understand you,’ we both chuckled.

 

‘Fair.  So, shall we go see the final product?’

 

‘Yes please,’ I jumped up and down on the spot.

 

Pete lead me through the front doors and told me to looked up.  We were surrounded by thousands of dangling strings in various shades of purple.  It was somewhat magical and hypnotising. He then lead me up a flight of stairs, and to another set of doors labelled ‘Wilson’.  We entered what looked like a tropical island inside the room.

 

‘Woah.  This is incredible Pete.’

 

He blushed lightly and ducked his head.

 

‘Thanks,’ he murmured.

 

‘Don’t be shy.  This is amazing.  I can’t believe you came up with all of this!’

 

‘It wasn’t all me.’

 

‘Don’t be so modest.  I do know you well enough to know that this,’ I gestured around us, ‘is how your brain visualizes this song.  No one else would come up with this.’

 

Pete didn’t reply, he merely kissed the side of my head and lead me through the room and out into a hallway.  The lighting throughout was purple and it really felt like being inside of the album.

 

The next room was Sunshine Riptide and it had a ball pit type area filled with large foam balls shaped like pills.  There were also a couple of giant pill bottles with the FOB logo on them. It was the perfect room to go with the song.

 

‘My friend would love this room.  She’s a pharmacist and she loves this song the most.  She found so many incredible hidden meanings just because of what she knows.’

 

‘Yeah I think I’ve read some of her Tweets.  I’m also surprised and so happy when people find the hidden gems in my lyrics.’

 

‘I’m just surprised at how many you manage to get in a song and how varied they can be.  Like I never would’ve guessed you knew so much about medicine and diseases and stuff. It’s honestly astounding.’

 

I could tell Pete was embarrassed by my gushing, but I couldn’t help it.  He was incredible and I was damn sure going to tell him so every chance I got.  It was evident it would happen a lot today.

 

We went through room after room.  One for each song on the album. My favourites being the upside down bedroom for Young and Menace and the teddy bear room for Hold Me Tight or Don’t.  But it was the last room that made me tear up. Just knowing that everyone who would walk through the doors would get to write on the walls and it was something tangible that the bad would have from thousands of fans, was absolutely beautiful.  The space was mostly empty, the white walls waiting to be filled with messages, but there was, strangely enough, a coffin right in the middle. Empty, except for a couple shoe boxes and shoes.

 

‘Pete?’

 

‘Mmmmm?’

 

‘What’s with the coffin?’

 

‘Well….this is part of the surprise.  Either me or Andy are going to be inside the coffin for a couple hours each day, signing and drawing on the shoes to give to some fans.’

 

‘Oh wow!,’ I breathed out.  ‘That’s….woah!’

 

‘Is that a good woah?’

 

‘Definitely.  Are you in it today?’

 

‘I am yup.  At least for the first half of the day.’

 

‘That is so cool.  Does that mean I get to hang out here?’

 

‘If you want to.  Or you can hang out with Trick, Andy, and Joe.’

 

‘I think I’ll stay here, at least for awhile.  Won’t you get uncomfortable in there? Or bored?’

 

‘Nah, we made sure it was super padded for us, but that is part of why Joe and Trick aren’t doing it.  Joe had his back issues, so we couldn’t ask him to remain still for that long, and Trick isn’t really one for being on display.  Andy was happy to do it so that I wasn’t in it for the entire weekend. And we’ve got headphones so we can listen to music, plus we’ll spend a bit of time drawing on the shoes and stuff.’

 

‘Sounds like you have it all planned out.’

 

‘Yeah, it was months and months of effort and I’m just so excited to see it come together like this.’

 

‘It’s amazing Pete.  It really, truly is.’

 

‘Thanks princess.’

 


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so so so so sorry it this has been updated sooner! I've been really busy with work and spent my days off sleeping the last couple weeks. Things should be back to normal next week and I will be able to update regularly again. Saying that, I think there's only going to be a couple more chapters after this. The direction has changed and I think it's almost at it's natural end. I may write a sequel but no plans as of yet.
> 
> I've started writing a book (non fandom) and I'd like to be able to devote more time to it. 
> 
> Love you guys!!

**September 8 2018**

 

The response to the Mania Experience was exactly what I expected.  People loved it. They loved getting to leave comments for the band and seeing both Pete and Andy.  The rooms were weird and wacky, but everyone agreed they fit perfectly. I was lucky enough to get to talk to heaps of fans and even meet some of my internet friend's.  I was happier than a kid in a candy store by the time we left and knowing I was going to get to do it all over again this morning was amazing.

 

The first thing I’d done when I realised that I was actually at the Mania Experience was pull up my group chats and find out when they were all going.  We were all so excited to be able to meet for the first time and happy tears were definitely shed. I made sure to meet them out front and walk through with them so I could see their honest reactions to each room.  They were all a little confused as to why I was so suddenly able to go and go so many times. When we’d gotten to the final room they were speechless. They couldn’t believe Pete was actually in a glass box. When I walked up to the box and tapped on it and Pete’s eyes lit up and he mouthed  _ I love you _ , they were even more speechless.

 

I specifically hadn’t told anyone on Twitter about my relationship with Pete.  Hardly anyone knew my real name and even fewer knew what I actually looked like.  Of course, my group chat friend's had all this information but I’d never confirmed it for them.  Though I had been asked point blank more than once. It was obviously confirmed now.

 

‘It was you!’ cried Annie.

 

‘You lied to us!’ added Melody.

 

‘I’m sorry!  I didn’t want to but...I also didn’t want it to change things between us,’ I explained.

 

‘How would us knowing about you and Pete have changed anything?’ Rebecca asked.

 

‘Because you would’ve treated me differently.  Like I was special, or I don’t know, felt awkward talking to me about the band like we always do.’

 

‘You are special Danni,’ Annie replied, ‘and that has nothing to do with you dating Pete.  You’re our friend and we are so happy for you I can’t even explain it. We love you, no matter who you’re dating.’

 

‘And even if it is the sexiest bassist of them all, we would never treat you differently.  And we are more than happy to talk to you about him,’ Melody winked.

 

‘You’ve boned right?’ Rebecca asked unashamedly.

 

I giggled and felt myself flush.

 

‘BOOOOOONE!’ Annie all but yelled.

 

‘Guys!  This is what I was talking about.  You’re making a big deal out of things and I feel weird.’

 

‘This is a huge deal!’ Annie said.

 

‘A huge deal,’ Rebecca agreed. I could see Melody nodding her head in agreement.

 

‘I know but….’

 

‘But?’ Melody asked.

 

‘I don’t want people to treat me like they do Mere.  I’m still me. I don’t want a pedestal. I don’t want people to ask me inappropriate questions online.  I don’t want people to hate me just because of who I’m with.’

 

‘We get it,’ Rebecca said, ‘People treat Mere all kinds of weird.  Even us.’

 

‘Only because we don’t like her,’ Annie added.

 

‘Right.  But we won’t do that to you Danni.  If you don’t feel comfortable talking about it, that’s fine.  But just know, we won’t spread your personal business around, so if you do want to talk, we’re here,’ Rebecca finished.

 

I smiled at them and held my arms out wide for a group hug.  They all early jumped together and proceeded to squish the life out of me.

 

‘Thank you,’ I whispered through happy tears.

 

‘Mind if I get in on the action?’ came a voice from behind us.

 

‘Jump on in,’ Melody said.  She was always the most cool, calm, and collected of us.  Nothing really seemed to faze her.

 

Pete quickly joined our group hug, eliciting giggles from all of us. When we pulled apart I heard the whispers and noticed the stares.  Everyone who’d made it to this room was gobsmacked that Pete was A. here, B. out of his box, and C. hugging a group of girls. None of them seemed to know what to do.

 

‘Gonna introduce me to your friend's?’ Pete asked, drawing my attention away from the gawkers.

 

‘Oh shit!  Sorry. Yeah this is Annie, Melody, and Rebecca.  My very good friend's that I’ve only just met in person for the first time.’

 

‘Nice to meet you all,’ Pete smiled at each of them in turn, causing another round of giggles from the girls and a few flushes.

 

‘Can we get a picture with you?’ Melody asked.

 

‘Sure.  Everyone get in here,’ Pete replied easily.  He pulled me tightly to his side and dropped a kiss to the side of my head.  Annie as the tallest stood slightly behind me, with both Melody and Rebecca slightly in front of me and Pete.

 

‘Ready?’ Melody asked holding out her phone for a selfie.  We all replied in the affirmative and she took a picture.

 

‘Now a funny faces one!’ she proclaimed.  We all agreed and pulled our best funny faces.

 

‘Perfect.  I send these to you all.’

 

‘I gotta get back in the box,’ Pete said after a moment.

 

‘Thanks for coming out,’ Annie said and instantly flushed as she realised what she’d said.

 

‘No problem,’ Pete chuckled, ‘You’ll all keep Danni occupied for a bit while I’m in the box yeah?’

 

‘Of course,’ Rebecca agreed easily.

 

‘Alright.  I’ll see you guys at the show.’

 

‘Oh.  Can they come backstage?’ I asked him eagerly.

 

‘Of course they can.  I’ll put them on the list,’ Pete smiled at them.  I could see how excited my friend's were to know they’d get to be backstage tonight.  ‘I’ll probably be in the box for another hour or so, but I’ll meet you out back when I’m done?’

 

‘Of course,’ I smiled up at Pete.  He quickly pulled me in for a kiss that left me all but breathless.  When he pulled away and got back into position, the entire room erupted in noise.

 

‘Holy shit!’  ‘Oh my God!’ ‘Who is she?’  ‘Is that her?’ ‘She’s nothing special.’  ‘What a bitch.’ ‘I bet she’s just with him cause he’s famous.’  ‘Do you think she could get us an autograph?’ ‘Should we try to talk to her?’

 

I heard it all but it didn’t bother me like I thought it would.  My girls gathered around me all wearing the same expression. It was a mixture of happiness, lust, intrigue, and excitement.

 

‘That was hot!’ Rebecca exclaimed.

 

‘An super cute,’ Annie agreed.

 

‘I don’t even like dudes and I’m feeling all kinds of turned on.  Though that could be because you’re a hot piece of ass Danni,’ Melody said.

 

‘Thanks,’ I laughed openly, ‘You’re not so bad yourself short stuff.’

 

‘Hey!  Stop hitting on my Twitter wife,’ Annie interjected.

 

‘Don’t worry Annie.  You will always be my Twitter wifey,’ I winked at her.

 

‘Damn right,’ she laughed.

‘Seriously though.  He’s a demon in the sck right?’ Rebecca asked.

 

‘You have  _ no idea. _ ’ I replied with a knowing smile.

 

‘And the uh...goods...what are we talking?’ she wiggled her brows.

 

‘Well I don’t like to kiss and tell but,’ I leaned in close so that no one else would hear, ‘he’s a grower.’

 

‘I knew it!’ Rebecca cried.

 

‘Damn girl!  He’s like...the total package,’ Annie said and once again flushed at her innuendo.

 

‘Yes.  Yes, he is,’ I agreed easily.  ‘Come on. Let’s get out of here before the lynch mob rises,’ I nodded toward some girls scowling in my direction.

 

‘Jeez.  Sometimes this fandom just fucking sucks,’ Melody groused.

 

‘Don’t I know it.’

 

* * * * 

 

A few hours later we were entering Wrigley Field and I was once again blown away.  This place was huge! I was so proud of them for finally getting to put on their dream show.  They worked so hard for it and damn did they ever deserve it. As we walked through the tunnel towards the field I noticed a familiar face heading towards us.

 

‘B!’ I shouted as I ran toward him.  Flinging myself into his arms. He lifted me easily and swung me around in a circle.

 

‘Doll face!’

 

‘I missed you!’

 

‘I missed you too doll face.’  He set me back on my feet as Pete caught up to us.

 

‘Hey man.  I didn’t know you were gonna be here,’ he said to Brendon.

 

‘I wasn’t about to miss my best friend's biggest show.’

 

‘Thanks for coming dude,’ Pete smiled.

 

‘Thanks for bringing doll face back out here,’ he teased.

 

‘I didn’t do it for you B,’ Pete rolled his eyes.

 

‘Suuuuure you didn’t.  Whatever you say.’

 

‘Enough teasing him,’ I interrupted.

 

‘Sorry hon,’ he had the good sense to look sheepish.

 

‘How’s Sarah?  Is she here?’

 

‘Nah, she’s at home.  She’s good though. We’re good,’ he had a dopey smile on his face.

 

‘So you got things straightened out then?’

 

‘Yeah, we did.  Thank you.’

 

‘What did I do?’

 

‘You set me straight.  You reminded me of why I married her in the first place.  You made me take a good long hard look at myself and my marriage and I am eternally grateful for that.’

 

‘You are more than welcome B.  I’m glad I could help,’ I smiled at him.

 

‘Does this mean you’ll stop hitting on my fiance?’ Pete asked.

 

‘Hell to the no!’ Brendon exclaimed loudly.  ‘You know flirting is ingrained in me. I can’t help myself and Danni here, is grade A flirt material.’

 

I felt myself flush lightly.  Trust Brendon to simultaneously make me want to laugh, and cringe at Pete’s potential response.

 

‘You’re not wrong.  So long as it doesn’t go further than harmless flirting, I think I can deal.’

 

Both Brendon and I stared at Pete shocked, mouths gaping open, eyes wide.

 

‘What?’ Pete asked incredulous.

 

‘Did you, Pete Jealous to a fault Wentz, just give me permission to flirt with your fiance?’

 

‘I guess so,’ Pete shrugged casually.

 

‘Has an alien inhabited your body?  Were you probed? Do I need to get you to a doctor?’

 

‘Oh shut up!  Don’t made a big deal about this,’ Pete huffed.

 

‘It is a big deal!  Last time I so much as looked at Danni wrong, you wanted to knock me out.’

 

‘I’ve changed.’

 

‘I’ll say,’ Brendon muttered in wonder.

 

‘You okay princess?’ Pete looked at me worriedly.

 

‘I uh.  Yeah. I’m good.   _ Are you? _ ’

 

‘Never been better,’ he smiled happily at me before pulling me in for another soul stealing kiss.  I was seconds away from climbing him like a fucking tree when Brendon cleared his throat.

 

‘As hot as that was,’ he fanned himself, ‘unless I’m invited to join, I suggest you get a room.’

 

‘Sorry B,’ I replied more than a little embarrassed that I’d forgotten he was even here.

 

‘Oh don’t be.  Like I said, that was hot, but I was about to do something very inappropriate if it continued.’

 

I laughed while Pete groaned in displeasure.

 

‘Dude.  I said I was chill with the flirting.  This is beyond my comfort level.’

 

‘My bad Pete.  Do you really expect me to not react to that kind of display though?’

 

‘I guess not,’ Pete replied.

 

‘Exactly.  So, as I said, get a room, or don’t get pissed when I do something you aren’t comfortable with.’

 

‘Roger that.’

 

I smiled at the way Pete had seemed to loosen up over the last few weeks.  I wondered if our separation had had anything to do with it. Maybe he’d realised that his jealousy was going to really hurt us and had been working on it.  I’d have to ask him about it later.


	19. On hold

This work is on hold until mid January 2019. I am struggling to find time to write already and it'll only get harder over the next couple weeks. I want to do this story justice so I'm not going to rush through the final few chapters.

Love you all to the moon and back!

Merry Christmas. 

Love K.


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back my lovelies! I hope you all had a good Christmas and New Years! I was meant to have this chapter up last week, and it was completed, but I was doing so much researching for the follow up chapter that I ran out of time and have just gotten back to it. I haven't finished the next chapter, I'm sorry to say I've hardly started it because I wasn't happy with some of the choices I made, but I promise I will get it up A.S.A.P!
> 
> So without further ado, ENJOY!

**September 2018 cont.**

 

The afternoon was a blur of activity.  The guys did soundcheck as did Rise Against and Machine Gun Kelly.  I was introduced to everyone, and I really liked all the guys from Rise Against, not so much Richard of MGK.  He seemed a bit self absorbed and he’d recently created a whole lot of drama with Eminem and had managed to piss off a large portion of the Fall Out Boy fan base.  He was pleasant enough, but something about his attitude was just grating. I knew I wouldn’t be a fan any time soon and made every effort to avoid him as much as possible.

 

I spent a lot of time with everyone else though and noticed some significant looks between the band members and Pete.  I had to assume they knew what he’d planned for this evening and I had desperately tried to get them to spill it, but they were all tight lipped.  I almost got Andy to crack but Meredith quickly derailed my attempt, telling me that it was a good surprise and to just let it happen. I took comfort in knowing that she, as a woman, thought the surprise was a good one.  I wasn’t really close with Mere, but women had a better sense of what other women would like and wouldn’t, so I had to trust that what Pete had planned wasn’t going to embarrass the crap out of me or make me feel uncomfortable.

 

‘What are you thinking about so hard over here?’ B asked, coming to sit beside me on a couch backstage.

 

‘Just trying to figure out what’s happening tonight,’ I replied.

 

‘Just let it happen doll face, you’ll love it.’

 

‘I’m sure I will, but I’m very impatient.  You should know this B.’

 

‘I do but I promise you it’ll be worth it.’

 

‘So everyone here knows what it is except me?’

 

‘Pretty much, yeah,’ he replied with a smirk.

 

‘Can you give me any clues?’

 

‘Sure.  I hope your makeup is waterproof.’

 

‘What?!  Why?!’ I asked alarmed.

 

‘Don’t worry, he’s not throwing you into a pool or anything like that, though that would be funny.  No, I’m thinking more that you are going to end up crying.’

 

‘Happy tears?’

 

‘Most definitely,’ he answered.

 

‘Okay...well I might need to redo my makeup then.’

 

‘I’m sure Mere can help you.’

 

‘More than likely.  That girl is a genius with makeup,’ I responded.

 

I got up from the couch and headed over to Mere to ask for her help.

 

‘Hey Danni, if you’re going to try to pump us for information, I already told you to stop worrying about it and just let it happen.  No one’s going to tell you.’

 

‘No, I know.  I was actually wondering if you could help me with my makeup.’

 

‘Oh!  Of course, but why?  You already look gorgeous.’

 

‘B mentioned that I’m more than likely going to be shedding a few tears later on and I’m not so excited to have makeup smeared down my face in front of hundreds of thousands of people.’

 

‘Ah.  Right.  Sure, I can do that for you.’

 

‘Thanks Mere.  You’re a lifesaver.’

 

We found a quiet room backstage that had adequate lighting and Mere got to work on my face.  First, taking off all my existing makeup, then moisturizing and priming my face.

 

‘God, you have just beautiful skin Danni, why do you even wear makeup?’  Mere asked as she let the primer work on my skin.

 

‘I had really bad acne as a teen and into my early twenties, I guess I just kept trying to cover up my imperfections.  I’ve got quite a few acne scars and some discolouration in my cheeks and on my nose,’ I explained.

 

‘Girl, no you don’t.  Here look,’ she held up a mirror and made me look at myself.  For the first time in a long time, I really took in my appearance.  My skin seemed to glow. The redness I’d been trying to fight for years, had mellowed and instead looked more like a rosy blush.  The acne scars had faded and become almost invisible.

 

‘Wow.  When did that happen?’

 

‘My guess?  Years ago, you just hadn’t let yourself see it until now.  Sometimes we need people to point things out to us for it to become visible.’

 

‘True.  Thanks Mere.’

 

‘Welcome.  Now, since you’re already gorgeous, I’m only go to put on a very small amount of foundation, minimal coverage, a light contour, and then I’m going to do your eyes.  I will make those babies pop!’

 

‘I trust you,’ I replied easily.

 

Half an hour later I looked amazing.  She’d kept the foundation light as promised but used her contouring skills to bring out my cheek bones and give my skin even more glow.  My eyes were smoked out in browns and golds, with a dark green eyeliner underneath.

 

‘Woah.  I never would have through to use a green eyeliner.  It looks amazing!’

 

‘ _ You  _ look amazing.  Green is great.  Probably my favourite colour and it really brings out brown eyes.’

 

My lashes looked thick and full, courtesy of some well placed falsies and some bomb ass mascara.  All in all, I looked gorgeous, and yes I was more than okay with tooting my own horn about it. I’d never felt more beautiful.

 

‘Thank you so much Mere.  I don’t know what else to say.’

 

‘No thanks necessary Danni.  Our guys are best friend's, practically brothers, and I hope that we’ll be as close as that.’

 

‘Me too Mere.’

 

I gave her a hug and we headed back to the room with the band.

 

‘Damn doll face!  I thought you were gorgeous before!  That look is killer!’ B said when he saw me enter the room.  I immediately blushed at the compliment and noticed all eyes had turned to me.

 

‘My woman’s got skills,’ Andy said with a proud smile aimed at Mere.

 

‘All the skill in the world can’t account for natural beauty, and Danni has that in spades, I just enhanced it,’ Mere explained.

 

‘Thanks guys,’ I said, still blushing.  I noticed that of all the eyes on me, none belonged to Pete.  He’d left the backstage area nearly an hour prior and I was starting to wonder where he was.

 

‘He’s making sure everything is going to run smoothly tonight,’ Trick explained when he noticed my searching eyes.

 

‘Oh.  Makes sense,’ I smiled at him.

 

‘You do look gorgeous Danni.  Pete is going to be dumbfounded.’

 

I blushed again, but flashed him a smile, earning a rare Patrick Stump wink.

 

‘Come here doll face, let me get a close up.’

 

I walked over to B, who was holding his arms out for me.  When I was within reach, he grabbed my arms, just below my shoulders and let his eyes roam my face.

 

‘Mere’s right.’

 

‘About?’ I asked.

 

‘You have natural beauty in spades, inside and out, this look just puts it under a spotlight for all to see.’

 

‘Thanks B.  But, can we stop talking about my “beauty” I’m getting kind of uncomfortable.’

 

‘Sure thing doll face, but seriously, you need to get comfortable with people giving you compliments.  You deserve every one of them.’

 

‘B...you’re gonna make me cry!’

 

‘Good thing you’re wearing waterproof makeup now,’ he winked at me before pulling me in for a hug.  

 

‘Thanks B.’

 

‘Don’t take this the wrong way, but is that what you’re wearing tonight?’

 

‘Why?  What’s wrong with my outfit?’  I looked down at the dark wash jeans, FOB tour t-shirt, and black Converse shoes.

 

‘Nothing, you look great but…,’ he trailed off.

 

‘But what?’

 

‘In a couple hours you’re going to be on stage in front of hundreds of thousands of people for a  _ very _ special surprise, I think you might want to dress up.’

 

‘I don’t have anything else to wear.’

 

‘Lucky for you, Pete thought ahead and had a bunch of stuff delivered for you and left me in charge of helping you pick the perfect outfit.’

 

‘He did?’ I asked cautiously.

 

‘He did,’ Brendon smiled.

 

‘He’s obviously come a long way with the whole jealousy thing.’

 

‘He realised that it was going to make him lose you in the long run, so he’s trying, harder than I’ve ever seen him try at anything.’

 

‘I’ve noticed.  Should we do this then?’

 

‘Right this way m’lady.’

 

B lead me to another backstage area and when he opened the door I let out a shocked gasp.

 

‘Holy crap!  B, there’s like hundreds of options in here!’  The room was wall to wall racks of clothing. There was everything from jeans and t-shirts, to dresses.  Every colour and style was represented. There must have been thousands of pieces of clothing, all designer labels and absolutely gorgeous.  How was I going to decide?

 

‘Pete doesn’t do things by halves, that’s for sure.  Wait until you see all the shoes.’

 

‘Where are they?’

 

‘Next door, they wouldn’t all fit in here.’

 

I walked over to the next room and opened the door.

 

‘Oh my God!  It’s heaven!’ I cried.  ‘I’m having a shoe-gasm!’

 

‘The second best kind of gasm,’ he winked at me.

 

* * * * 

After forty-five minutes we’d managed to pick out the most gorgeous pair of shoes.  We’d decided that we’d build an outfit around the shoes I’d chosen. It hadn’t taken quite as long as I’d expected and I’d only tried on around twenty pairs of the easily two hundred options, but I’d fallen in love with the pair I was currently wearing.  They were a rose gold platform sandal with a thin ankle strap, and they were gloriously sparkly. The heel was five inches and would make me taller than Pete, as it was, I wasn’t much shorter than Brendon when I was wearing them.

 

‘Damn, doll face!  Those heels are  _ seeexy _ !  Give me a twirl.’

 

I twirled myself around with one foot kicked up behind me.

 

‘Very nice, very nice.  Now we need to find the perfect outfit to go with those bad boys.’

 

‘Actually…’

 

‘What?’

 

‘I was kinda hoping that maybe….maybe you’d throw on some heels and show me some of your moves from kinky boots?’ I asked hopefully.

 

‘Doll face, I’d love to, but you know none of these are ever going to fit me.’

 

I looked around at the shoes, he was right.  They were all in my size, which was nowhere near the size he’d need.  I felt a modicum of disappointment.

 

‘Oh, don’t look like that doll face.  When we’re back in L.A. I’ll be sure to show you my stuff.’

 

‘Really?!’

 

‘Anything for you doll face.’

 

I ran at B and threw my arms around his neck.  He easily lifted me and swung me around in a circle.

 

‘If I knew all I had to do was agree to wear heels to get this kind of reaction from you, I’d have done it months ago.’

 

‘Oh shut up!’ I slapped his arm.

 

‘Hey, it’s not every day I get a hug like that from a gorgeous woman.’

 

‘I think Sarah might disagree.’

 

‘True that.  Let’s not tell her I said that,’ he winked at me.

 

‘Your secret is safe with me.  But seriously, things are good with you two?’

 

‘Things are great with us, but you know me, unabashed flirt, twenty-four seven.’

 

‘So long as that’s all it is,’ I lifted a brow.

 

‘It is doll face, but I’d still never say no to you.’

 

‘You won’t get a chance to say yes B.’

 

‘More’s the pity.’

 

‘Come on, I need to find an outfit,’ I dragged him back to the clothing store that had been set up next door.  FOB would be going on stage in three hours, after MGK and Rise Against, so I had to be well and truly dressed and ready by that time.  There were so many outfits to choose from, and it was highly likely I’d have to try on the majority of them to find the perfect one.


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SURPRISE! I was so into this chapter once I got into it that it's already done! The next chapter will be the last, so I'm going to take my time with it and make it perfect. I may, MAY, make a continuation story to carry on from this one, but I haven't yet decided. I hope you like Pete's surprise for Danni. Love you all!

**September 8 2018 cont.**

 

Choosing an outfit wasn’t nearly as hard as I’d expected.  I decided quickly that I would wear a dress so all the pants, shorts, and shirts were quickly eliminated.  We were then able to cut out all the long dresses, which took about 30% of the dresses out. Next we were able to eliminate all the yellow gold dresses, leaving only the rose gold, followed by removing all the multicoloured, metallic, and silver dresses.  Next we removed anything that wasn’t white, black, rose gold, or a green to match my eyeliner. All in all, we were left with about 20% of all the garments, meaning there were still easily a hundred options to choose from, but it made my task much easier than first anticipated.

 

I tried on thirty or so dresses before I found one that I thought was perfect.  It was a black mini dress with a deep v in the front and the back, with lace inserts and full length lace sleeves.  There was a rack of belts that I hadn’t noticed, but held the perfect belt to tie my look together. The belt was a thin rose gold chain that wrapped loosely, twice around my waist, just below the V of the dress.  My outfit looked both rock-chic and sexy as hell. The only issue was having to tape my boobs in place, as there was no bra in the world that wouldn’t be visible through the lace. B had offered his assistance, unsurprisingly, but I insisted he retrieve Mere to help me out.  In only five minutes she had my boobs perfectly positioned and held in place with the tape. I had some serious cleavage going on, which was very much appreciated by B who’d come back into the room once Mere had told him I was done.

 

‘Doll face, you look perfect!’

 

‘Thanks B,’ I smiled at his reflection in the mirror I was standing in front of.

 

‘You doing anything with your hair?’

 

‘Yup, I’ve got Mere retrieving a GHD and I’m going to throw it into a sleek pony.’

 

‘Forgive my ignorance but...pony?’

 

‘A ponytail you dunce,’ I laughed.

 

‘Oh right.  That makes way more sense then the horse I was picturing.’

 

‘You thought I was going to fashion my hair into a horse?’

 

‘A small one,’ he held his fingers an inch apart.

 

‘Dork,’ I rolled my eyes at him.

 

It didn’t take long for my hair to be done and just in time too, I only had fifteen minutes until FOB got on stage.  I wasn’t sure exactly when my surprise was planned for, but the guys had already made their way under the stage where they would be lifted up when their set began.  I was disappointed that I wasn’t able to see Pete before the show started but B assured me that the look on his face when he saw me would be worth it. Hopefully, he was right.

 

‘Nervous?’ he asked me as we stood in the wings, waiting for the lights to go up.

 

‘Probably more so than I have ever been in my life,’ I confirmed.

 

‘Don’t be.  You look gorgeous and Pete is madly in love with you.  He would never do anything to hurt or embarrass you,’ at my look he amended, ‘he wouldn’t do anything to hurt you  _ again _ , and he wouldn’t embarrass you in front of this many people.’

 

‘That sounds more accurate,’ I agreed.

 

The lights suddenly came on amidst the opening lines of Disloyal Order, and flames shot out of various places around the stage.  I hooted and hollered with the crowd as the boys ascended from below the stage. I’d seen this concert a few times, both in person and from videos, but it never got old.  It was mesmerizing. They’d changed the setlist a few times, and the graphics on the screen behind the stage, so the show always felt fresh. I missed The Phoenix opener, but Disloyal Order deserved its spot.

 

* * * *

 

The concert continued as did my nerves.  I kept waiting for whatever my surprise was to make itself known.  It hadn’t yet, and we had to be halfway through the show. But regardless of my nerves, I was enjoying myself and this momentous occasion.  This was a big deal for the band, a bucket list item. The energy of the band and crowd was insane! You could feel the adrenaline and euphoria pouring through the stadium.  It was really something to behold and I was ecstatic that I was able to bear witness to it.

 

I was so into the concert that I hadn’t noticed Brendon slip away during Champion, until I saw him on the stage next to Trick.

 

‘This a song that you all know and love, it has been lovingly referred to as our anthem for years.  Tonight, we’re playing it as a tribute to you all,’ the crowd exploded causing Pete to pause and laugh excitedly.  ‘But more than that, I’m dedicating this song to my fiance, Danni. Come on out Princess,’ Pete looked in my direction and lifted his hand towards me.

 

I took a deep calming breath and stepped out onto the stage to thunderous applause.  I knew the song they were about to play and I didn’t think Pete could have chosen any better.  It was the first song I, and many others, had ever heard by the band, and it instigated my life long love for the band and for Pete in particular.  I saw his reaction when he saw my outfit and knew B had been right, it was worth the effort. When I reached him, he grabbed me around the waist and pulled me close, planting a firm kiss on my lips, much to the crowds delight.

 

‘I know I’ve said it before but I need for you to know how sorry I am for everything I’ve put you through recently and I am so unbelievably happy that you’ve forgiven me.  You are the love of my life and I thank God every day that I found you sitting on that beach. My life would be incomplete without you. I know I’ve already asked you this question, but I need to ask you again,’ he removed his bass from his body and handed it off to one of the roadies, before dropping down onto one knee and taking my hand in his.  ‘You own me, heart and soul Danni. You are my present and my future. You are the sun, the moon, and the stars in my sky. I need you in my life now and forever more. Danni Williams, will you make me the happiest man in the universe and become my wife?’ Before he’d even started speaking my eyes had welled with happy tears. I knew where this was going and I had no doubt of my answer and had begun nodding my head before he’d even finished asking the question.

 

‘Of course I’ll be your wife dummy.  I’m already wearing your ring,’ I answered through the tears, earning laughter and applause from the entire crowd, so much so, that I could barely hear my own thundering heartbeat.

 

Pete immediately raised up from the floor and grabbed me in his arms, planting his lips to mine and spinning us around.  I wrapped my legs around his waist and enjoyed the feel of his lips on mine, while the crowd went crazy. Eventually, Tricks quiet cough broke us apart.

 

‘Not trying to break into your happy moment, but you should probably stop before this show has to be given an R rating’ he teased.

 

‘Sorry Trick,’ Pete and I both replied at the same time. I dropped my legs back to the floor and Pete grabbed my hand in his, his other going to the microphone.

 

‘In case you hadn't already figured it out, this is Danni, my soon to be wife, and this next song is for her.’  I’d expected Pete to grab his bass again, but instead he pulled me towards him and began dancing around the stage with me, while the band played Grand Theft Autumn, with B on the bass.  Which explained his presence on stage. I was so in the moment with Pete that I hadn’t realised B was singing along with Trick, but as soon as the chorus hit, I let out a squeal of approval.

 

‘This is amazing Pete, thank you,’ I said as I kissed him softly.

 

‘I would do anything for you Danni, all you have to do is ask,’ he replied easily.

 

‘I need only you.’

 

Pete dropped his lips to mine and took my breath away.  Everything aside from us ceased to exist in that moment.  All I could feel, smell, and hear was him, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.  When he pulled back, I couldn’t contain the smile on my lips and it appeared, neither could he.

 

‘Have you seen the screen yet?’ he asked.  I shook my head and looked up to the giant screen behind the stage and let out a surprised gasp.  The pictures flashing up on the screen were all of us. Some were just me, some with me and Pete, and lots of me with his kids, the band, B, and the other wives and girlfriends.  I was in each and every photo. This was a tribute to me, more so than I realised. Dispersed amongst the images, was live video of us up on the stage. You could easily see how happy we both were, now and in the photos from our time together.  

 

As the song wound to a close, Pete kissed me softly.  I didn’t want this moment to end, even though I had no doubt that I was in for a serious night of passion.  Pete’s surprise was perfect. When the song finished, Pete kissed me once more quickly, then retrieved his bass from B, who took a dramatic bow before grabbing my hand and leading me off stage.

 

‘So I take it that was a good surprise?’ he smirked at me.

 

‘The best.’

 

‘Told you so.’

 

‘Yes, you did.  Thank you B.’

 

‘For?’

 

‘For being there for me and Pete.  Always. For not letting either of us run away scared.  For making us both realise what we meant to each other. Even though it could’ve ruined all our relationships, what happened showed us all what we had and made us appreciate it more.  And thank you for caring about me, about us both.’

 

‘I would do it all again in a heartbeat if it brought us to this moment again.  You and Pete are meant for each other. You are both my best friend's and I would do anything for you.’

 

‘And us for you.’

 

‘I know.  I’m glad you have each other.’

 

‘Me too.  And I’m glad we have you.’

 

I kissed him lightly on the cheek and pulled him into a tight hug.  He’d been a part of my relationship with Pete since the beginning. He’d done things that were inappropriate, and had nearly torn us apart, but it had made us all stronger in the end.  I was so grateful for him and for Pete. I wouldn’t change any of what we’d all been through, it had been necessary to get to where we were, even if it hurt at the time. It was all worth it in the end.

 

* * * *

 

B and I returned to the stage when they played Saturday.  Pete wore a Chicago Cubs jersey with his name on the back and I could tell just how happy he was.  B took over Pete’s bass when Pete moved into the crowd. The crowd knew this was the last song and made the most of it, pelting out the lyrics with Trick and Pete.  It was a totally different experience from on stage and one I wouldn’t soon forget. The whole night was going to be seared into my mind for the rest of my days. It would be one of my happiest memories, of that I was sure.

 

When the song concluded, complete with streamers, confetti, and fire, Pete returned to the stage.  He pulled me against his sweaty body and kissed me ferociously. His adrenaline was spiking and I was to be his release.  Nothing could’ve made me happier. I would do and be anything for this man and him for me. As he deepened the kiss, he lifted me in his arms and carried me offstage.  I could hear the crowd screaming and smiled against Pete’s lips.

 

‘I think they like you,’ he said against my lips.

 

‘I think they like you more.’

 

‘Impossible.  You are better than me in every way and you look way better in that dress than I ever would.’

 

I giggled at the image of him in my dress.

 

‘Not too mention those sexy ass heels.  I can’t wait to have them wrapped around my neck later.’  The heat in his eyes left me no doubt of his intentions for the evening.

 

‘We’d better get out of here then,’ I whispered in his ear before nibbling on the lobe.

 

‘Or…’

 

‘What?’ I asked curiously.

 

‘We could tick another thing off my bucket list,’ he said with a devilish look in his eyes.

 

‘And what would that be?’

 

‘Having sex on the pitch at Wrigley Field.’

 

‘Not sure if the management would approve.  Nor all the fans and roadies who are out there.’

 

‘The fans will be gone soon.’

 

‘And the roadies?’

 

‘They’re not taking the set apart until the morning.’

 

‘So what you’re saying is, we’ll have the field to ourselves shortly?’

 

‘Yes.  Yes we will,’ he replied with a slow, seductive smile.

 


	22. Chapter 22

**Three Months Later**

 

‘Nervous?’ Sarah asked.

 

‘Not at all.  I’m right where I want to be, doing exactly what I want to be doing,’ I responded truthfully.

 

‘That’s how you know you’re doing the right thing.’

 

‘And how about you?  How’s married life treating you?’

 

‘It’s amazing.  It’s like nothings changed, and yet everything has, but in the best way possible.’

 

‘I’m so happy you’re happy Sarah.  I miss you like crazy these days, I especially miss our daily phone calls, but I love that you and Ben are still so madly in love.  You two truly are perfect for each other.’

 

‘I miss all those things too, and you’re right we are perfect for each other.  Just like you and Pete are.’

 

‘You really think so?’

 

‘Absolutely.  I wouldn’t be here right now, in this room with you, helping you get ready to marry him, if I didn’t think so.’

 

I smiled and let a giggle slip out.  We were currently sitting in a room which had been dubbed, bride headquarters.  The room looked like an explosion had occurred. There was fabric, flowers, and makeup everywhere.  Not to mention the shoes, jewelry, and champagne glasses. We’d been in this room for five hours already, and had managed to make quite the mess.

 

‘I feel kinda bad about the state of the room,’ I commented as I looked around at the carnage.

 

‘Don’t.  It’s your special day, you’re allowed to make a mess.  Besides, that’s why you paid for a cleanup crew.’

 

‘I know, I know.  I still feel bad about making their job harder than it needs to be.  They’ll have enough to cleanup at the reception.’

 

‘It’s what they’re paid for.  It’s not like you’re dressed appropriately for cleaning anything anyway,’ she quipped.

 

‘True.’  I was wearing my wedding dress and damn was I in love with it.  It was perfect in every way. It was from Kleinfeld Bridal, yes from the show, and from the limited collection by Pronovias and Kleinfeld.  I’d chosen it because it was a mix of traditional and modern and made me feel like a princess. It was an a-line strapless gown with a sweetheart neckline that was fitted at my waist and flared out to a full skirt made up of layers of tulle and lace.  The bodice was beaded and embroidered, while the skirt and train had appliques throughout. All in all, it was damn gorgeous and I’d fallen in love with it immediately.

 

If I’m completely honest though, the decision had been incredibly hard.  I’d been to Kleinfelds three times before I’d made my choice and had tried on upwards of a hundred dresses.  Some were immediately dismissed, but more than thirty ended up in the maybe pile. Eventually, I’d narrowed it down to only six options, all very different, in style, colour, designer, and price.  Pete had told me to get what I wanted regardless of price, but I had a hard time thinking that way. Thank God for the shop assistants and my entourage, which consisted of Meredith, Marie, Dustie, and oddly enough, Meagan.  They’d managed to convince me to choose the dress based on nothing other than how it made me feel. Their advice had been exactly what I needed to make that final decision.

 

I had considered getting two dresses, one for the ceremony, and another for the reception, but I didn’t relish the idea of changing between events, and I was just so in love with the dress I’d chosen, that I couldn’t imagine only wearing it for a short period of time.  My only concern was the length of the train and it getting dirty during the festivities, not to mention trying to go to the bathroom in it. But I knew that Sarah, as my maid of honour, had the whole thing covered, and dry cleaning was invented for just this reason.

 

‘You almost ready?’ Sarah asked, breaking through my thoughts.

 

‘Yup.  Just need to put my shoes on and find my bouquet.’  The shoes I’d chosen were made to order Jimmy Choos.  They were the Romy style, with a 4 inch heel, and covered in a white floral lace.  They were the perfect wedding shoes, but not the only shoes I’d be wearing this evening.  I knew there was no way I’d survive dancing all night in 4 inch heels.

 

‘Ready to marry your soul mate?’ Sarah asked.

 

‘You’re already married,’ I teased.

 

‘Your  _ other _ soul mate,’ she laughed.

 

‘Abso-fucking-lutely!’

 

* * * *

 

‘You look beautiful honey.’

 

‘Thanks Dad.  You don’t look too bad yourself,’ I teased.  Dad hardly ever wore anything but stubbies and holey t-shirts, such was the dress code of the farmer.  Today however, he wore a custom fitted, black Armani suit, with a crisp white dress shirt underneath, and black loafers.  Pete had insisted on paying for the entire wedding parties attire, including our mothers outfits, so everyone got the best of the best.  Dad looked great, if a little stiff.

 

‘I’m not used to wearing a monkey suit, but I think I clean up pretty good.’

 

‘You do daddy.  Pretty sure mum agrees too,’ I smirked and gave dad a knowing look.  I’d seen mum all but drooling over dad when she first saw him in his suit this morning.

 

‘I’m not sure she’s seen me in a suit since I was Clay’s best man.  And that was….jeez maybe ten years ago.’

 

‘Oh wow!  I’d forgotten about that!’

 

‘I’ve tried to, the hangover was not fun the next day.’

 

‘So I heard,’ I laughed.

 

‘You ready Danni girl?’ Dad asked.

 

‘More than ready,’ I said honestly.

 

Dad signaled the celebrant, who in turn signaled the pianist. We hadn’t wanted our wedding to be too traditional, that just wasn’t us.  Neither of us were particularly religious, so we’d chosen a wonderful Celebrant named Tom. He was down to earth, funny, and seemed to have a really good handle on everything.  Instead of the traditional wedding March, we’d asked B to play an instrumental version of Wonderful Tonight by Eric Clapton. He was doing double duty as our pianist and co-groomsman with Trick.

 

As the song began, Dad opened the curtain we were behind, and began to lead me down the aisle.  When I caught sight of Pete, my breath caught in my throat. He looked gorgeous. Him and his groomsmen all worse charcoal grey suits, with white dress shirts underneath.  The groomsmen had matching vests and ties, whereas Pete had a lighter grey, almost silver, vest and tie. Man could he wear a suit. The look was topped off with black loafers for all of them.  They looked very sauve indeed. 

 

When we reached the end of the makeshift aisle, dad handed me off to Pete, and I handed my bouquet off to Sarah.

 

‘You look absolutely stunning,’ Pete said quietly.

 

‘I feel like a princess,’ I replied with a smile.

 

‘You’ve always been my princess, but the tiara certainly helps,’ he quipped, causing those within hearing distance to laugh.  I’d specifically chosen a gorgeous platinum tiara to go with my outfit. It was delicate and had inlaid diamonds in strategic places that caught the light beautifully.

 

‘Welcome all to this beautiful place, for this beautiful ceremony.  You may not be aware of the meaning behind this chosen location, so let me enlighten you.  Six months ago, Danni was in this very location, for a very similar ceremony. She was maid of honour for her best friend Sarah.  Pete was also here, getting in some rest and relaxation before he started the second half of a world tour. It was here, only a few dozen feet away, that they first met,’ at Tom’s words the crowd awe’d.  ‘Yes, they are sickeningly romantic,’ he laughed. ‘They had no idea that their chance meeting on the beach, outside Sarah’s reception, would lead to this moment, but I think we can all agree, that they were made for each other.  I have never met a couple more in love, more in sync, or more adorable, than these two. If I hadn’t seen it for myself, I wouldn’t believe that a love like theirs could exist. Their story may not be straight out of a fairy tale, it’s much too real for that, but their love certainly is.  It is a once in a lifetime love. So, it is for this reason that we are all here. To bear witness as they continue on to the next stage of their love story. They’ve chosen to recite their own vows, so Pete, take it away.’

 

‘Danni, when I saw you sitting on this beach, late at night, in your bridesmaid dress, something compelled me to talk to you.  You looked so contemplative, staring out at the ocean, and absolutely gorgeous. I didn’t expect anything more than a conversation with you, but I got so much more.  After talking to you for a few minutes, I knew we were kindred spirits, your soul called to mine. It didn’t take much to get you to open up to me, only a fifth of Tequila, but once you did, all I wanted to do was help you, in whatever way I could.  I’ll admit I had an ulterior motive, I wanted you for myself, so if I could help you to come to terms with what you already knew, I was going to. It was a win win situation. I was willing to take whatever relationship you could give me, and expected it to be a short summer fling.  Something to help both of us get out of our respective funks. I can’t tell you how ecstatic I was when I found out you’d be in L.A. for a few weeks after the wedding. It meant I’d get more time with you, and I wanted all I could get. We fell in love, real, all consuming love. A love like I never thought to find, that I wasn’t even sure was real.  We’ve been through challenges, many stemming from our various insecurities, but we keep coming back to each other. You are my other half, the lightness in the dark, the calm in my storm. I love you more each and every day and I’m so glad that I took a chance and talked to the beautiful woman on the beach, with the beautiful soul.’

 

By the time Pete had finished speaking, I had tears running down my cheeks, and was thankful that Meredith had once again provided her makeup skills, and ensured that it wouldn’t move no matter how many tears I shed.  

 

‘I think we can all agree that that was beautiful Pete, it’s clear why you are such an amazing lyricist.  Danni, you sure you want to follow that?’ Tom asked.

 

‘Nope, not so sure I can compete with that but I’ve gotta at least try,’ I replied, earning laughs from the crowd.

 

‘I like your spirit.  Whenever you’re ready Danni.’

 

I took a few seconds to compose myself before I started to speak my own vows.

 

‘Six months ago I was, let's be real, miserable.  I felt like my life had stalled out in every aspect and I couldn’t find a way forward.  I was sitting on this beach, feeling sorry for myself, when out of nowhere, someone started talking to me.  I recognised the voice, but it wasn’t until I looked over that I realised just who had found me wallowing. I thought I was dreaming.  It didn’t seem like real life. No one meets their celebrity crush on a beach in Hawaii, while lamenting life, and wearing a bridesmaid dress.  But I wasn’t dreaming. We spent the night talking and drinking, and yes, you finally managed to get me to open up to you. That night I found out that the person you are on stage, in interviews, on the internet, is the real you.  You’re charming, funny, empathetic, helpful, and the hottest man on the planet,’ the crowd openly laughed at this line. ‘But more than that, you’re down to earth, dare I say, normal. You aren’t this mythical creature like everyone thinks.  You’re just a guy, who started a band, and shot to stardom, but you’ve kept the same personality and values as you’ve always held. You’re an amazing person Pete and I am so grateful for every day I’ve had and will have with you. I wake up next to you and I feel like the luckiest woman on the planet.  Most women can only dream about having a loving, supportive, honest, reliable partner by their side, and I hit the jackpot. I got all of that wrapped up in a glorious package,  _ with  _ a glorious package.  Sorry Dad,’ I looked at my Dad and giggled at his reaction.  ‘What I’m trying to say is this. I love you Pete, with all that I have and all that I am.  You make the tough days easier to navigate, and the good days become great days. You call me you’re princess and you make me feel like one every day.  So I guess that makes you my Prince Charming, my happily ever after, my fairy tale come to life. The other half of my soul. And in a few minutes, my husband.  Thank you for taking a chance and talking to me that day. My life is so much better for it. I love you Pete. Yesterday, today, tomorrow, and for the rest of my life and beyond.’

 

‘Well I think you knocked that right out of the park Danni.  There’s not a dry eye in the house!’ I looked around the crowd and saw that Tom was right, every set of eyes was misty.  Some openly crying, namely my mother, Sarah, and a few of the other women in attendance, even Trick looked like he was barely holding it together.  Brendon on the other hand, had the biggest smile on his face, even though his eyes were shining with tears. When he noticed my gaze, he winked at me.  He knew I’d been struggling with what to say, and had told me just to speak from the heart. So I had.

 

‘Who has the rings,’ Tom asked.  Trick reached into his pocket and produced our wedding rings, handing them to Pete and myself.  ‘Pete, you’re up again.’

 

‘Danni, I promise to love you always.  I promise to be by your side through all of life's challenges and triumphs.  I promise to support you in everything you do. I promise to listen when you talk, and when you don’t.  I promise to always treat you as the princess you are. I promise my life to yours,’ he finished as he slid the ring on my finger.

 

‘Beautiful.  Danni?’

 

‘Pete, I promise to love you forever and long after that.  I promise to tell you when you’re acting a little crazy. I promise to be your strength during the tough times, and your cheerleader during the good times.  I promise to support you always, unless the idea is nuts, which leads to my next vow. I promise to always be honest with my thoughts and feelings. I promise my life to yours,’ I slid the ring onto Pete’s finger.

 

‘Perfectly said.  Pete, I imagine this is the moment you’ve been waiting for,’ Tom said with a smile.  ‘By the power vested in me, by the state of Hawaii, I now pronounce you man and wife.  Pete, you may kiss your bride.’

 

Pete grabbed my face and kissed me like I was oxygen, and he’d been holding his breath for too long.  The kiss couldn’t be classed a church appropriate, luckily we weren’t in a church, but it wasn’t so much that I would’ve been embarrassed for my family.  It was the perfect kiss to seal our union. We broke apart to uproarious cheering and clapping.

 

‘I am happy to present to you, Pete and Danni Wentz!’

 

Somehow the cheering got even louder as Pete and I turned as one towards our guests.  As we made our way down the aisle Pete leaned in and whispered in my ear.

 

‘It’s you and me princess.  Now and forever. You own me heart and soul.’

 

‘Now and forever.’

 

* * * * 

The reception was laid back and fun.  We didn't want it to be stuffy and boring, so we'd decided to have an open bar and an all night buffet style meal.  This meant that people could eat what and when they wanted and weren't governed by any kind of timeline.  Our first dance was to Grow Old With You.  Yup.  The song from the wedding singer.  We'd asked Trick and B to sing it for us and they were only to happy to oblige.  It was the perfect song for us and from one of our favourite comedies.  For the remainder of the music, we had a jukebox style setup, where guests were able to pick a song and add it to the queue.  It took a lot of pressure off of us to pick a whole bunch of songs for the evening and meant that everyone got to listen to songs they enjoyed.

 

After our first dance, we retreated to our table, the only assigned table at the reception, and I began to take off my shoes.

 

'You sure you want to walk around in bare feet?' Pete asked.

 

'Who said anything about bare feet?' I smirked.  I'd had Sarah stash my "reception shoes" underneath the table early this morning.  I heard Pete bust out laughing as he saw me lacing on my custom made FOB vans that I'd ordered.  They had the FOB volcano/crown in white on the outer side of each shoe, and an image of each of the llama monsters on the other side.  The shoes themselves were purple to reflect the Mania era, with white insoles, and toe caps.

 

'Now I know why you desperately needed these to arrive the other day,' Pete chuckled.

 

'Yup.  Wanted to be comfortable on my wedding day.'

 

'Planning to dance the night away?'

 

'For awhile at least.  I have plans for you for later.'

 

'Oh do you now?  And what exactly are these plans?'

 

'That's for me to know and you to find out,' I smirked.

 

'How long do we have to stay here?'

 

'More than ten minutes, less than four hours,' I replied quickly.

 

'I'm going to hold you to the less than four hours thing.'

 

'I'll just bet you will.  Right now though, I want you to hold me out on the dance floor.'

 

'Now that I can do.'

 

After a few more dances with Pete, my dad cut in to dance with me to a song he'd chosen, I Loved Her First, by Heartland.

 

'Are you happy?'

 

'Happier than I've ever been Dad.'

 

'I can tell.  I've never seen you glow quite like you are tonight.  Love suits you my girl.'

 

'Thanks Dad.'

 

We swayed around the floor until the song finished and dad went to dance with mum.  B was the next person to come over and ask me to dance.

 

'Beautiful ceremony doll face and you look absolutely gorgeous.  Pete is a very lucky man.'

 

'Thanks B.  You look dashing as always,' I smiled.  

 

'You did good with your vows.'

 

'I just said what was in my heart, like you told me to.'

 

'It was perfect Danni, it really was.'

 

'Thanks B.  And thanks for everything you've done for us over the past couple months, and today.  It's meant a lot to us.'

 

'I've told you before, I would do anything for you two.'

 

'I know,' I smiled up at him before resting my cheek against his shoulder and letting him lead me around the dance floor.  When the song finished I was once again pulled into another set of arms, this time, Tricks.

 

'Congratulation Danni.'

 

'Thanks Trick.'

 

'I'm so glad Pete pulled his head out of his ass and begged you to forgive him,' he chuckled.

 

'Me too.  But if I'm honest, I'd already forgiven him, and maybe our temporary separation made us realise just how important we were to each other.'

 

'Yeah, I think you might be right.  I've never seen Pete happier than he was the night of the Wrigley show, and that had nothing to do with us playing there and everything to do with his surprise for you.  He was an absolute shit to live with when you two were apart, I'm glad I won't ever have to deal with that again.  I won't, will I?' he asked.

 

'No Trick.  You won't.  I have no intentions of letting him go or letting him push me away ever again.  I love him too much for that.'

 

'Good.  That's good.'

 

'Thanks for being there for us Trick.'

 

'You are so welcome Danni.  Thank you for loving Pete the way you do.'

 

'I couldn't live any other way,' I replied.

 

When the song ended, Pete was there.

 

'Mind if I steal my wife away?'  I smiled hearing Pete call me that.  It was the first time he'd called me his wife and it set butterflies flapping in my belly.

 

'Not at all,' Trick replied with a bow.

 

Pete drew me into his arms, wrapping them around my waist, as I weaved mine around his neck.

 

'It's been more than ten minutes,' he said quietly in my ear.

 

'And less than four hours.'

 

'Can I get my surprise now?'

 

'How badly do you want it?' I teased.

 

He pulled my waist closer and rubbed his erection against my lower belly.  'That badly.'

 

'I don't know if you want it badly enough yet.  Besides, I still got my dancing shoes on.'

 

'Maybe we can sneak into a closet for a few minutes of alone time?'

 

'I'm not opposed to that idea,' I smiled at him.

 

'Follow me Mrs. Wentz.'

 

'Right behind you, Mr. Wentz.'

 

* * * *

 

We never got our alone time in the closet, we were inundated with well wishers, and were both pulled back to the dance floor multiple times.  By the time we got out of the reception, we'd been there for three hours and forty five minutes.

 

' _Just_ under four hours.'

 

'I'm a woman of my word,' I giggled.

 

'That you are my gorgeous wife.'

 

'Say it again.'

 

'Wife.'

 

'I love you, husband.'

 

'I love you too, wife.'

 

'Forever and always.'

 

'Until the end of time.'

 

'Until the universe ceases to exist.'

 

'That is a very long time,' I replied.

 

'Not long enough.  I'll never have enough time with you.'

 

'Nor I with you.'

 

'Can I have my surprise _now?_ _'_ he asked, causing me to giggle again.

 

'Follow me Mr. Wentz.'  


 

'Right behind you, Mrs. Wentz.'

 

* * * *

  
  


**Epilogue**

 

**Six Months Later - June 5 2019**

 

‘Happy Birthday babe!  Open your present!’ I crowed as soon as Pete opened his eyes in the morning.

 

‘Mmmm morning princess.  Thank you, but can I have some coffee first?’ he murmured in his sleep roughened voice.

 

‘Nope.  Open your present, then I’ll make you some coffee.’

 

‘Who’s birthday is it again?  Shouldn’t I get to do what I want, when I want?’

 

‘Nope.  We’re married and as you’ve well and truly learned by now, I am always right, even when I’m wrong, I’m right.  And I say, open your damn present,’ I smiled so he knew I wasn’t really getting grumpy.

 

‘Fine, pass it over.’

 

I handed him a long Tiffany’s box, the kind a bracelet comes in.

 

‘Jewelry?  Unconventional, but I’m down.’

 

‘Just open it.’

 

Pete untied the bow and cracked the lid.

 

‘What?  What am I looking at?’

 

‘That, my darling husband, is my IUD.’

 

‘Your IUD?’ he asked, still slightly confused.  I nodded my head and waited for him to make the connection.

 

‘Wait!  Are you saying what I think you’re saying?’

 

‘Depends what you think I’m saying,’ I teased.

 

‘Are we going to try for a baby?’

 

‘Hells yes we are!’  I smiled.

 

‘Best birthday present ever!’  Pete grabbed my face in his hands and laid a passionate kiss on my lips, then rolled me beneath him.  ‘I say we get started on making this baby right now!’

 

‘I thought you wanted coffee?’

 

‘Fuck coffee.  I want you more than I’ll ever want coffee!’  He leaned down and recaptured my lips, delving his tongue inside as his hand moved to my breast and plucked at my sensitive nipple.  We both slept naked, except when his boys were staying with us, so there were no unnecessary barriers between us. I felt his hard length resting on my entrance and could help but grind against it.  We’d been together for nearly a year, and still we couldn’t get enough of each other.

 

‘God I love the feel of your body beneath mine,’ Pete murmured in my ear, before taking the lobe in his mouth and nibbling it.

 

‘Oh God.  I love what you can do with your mouth,’ I replied breathlessly.

 

‘So responsive this morning,’ Pete chuckled as his mouth trailed hot kisses down to my breast.  He took my nipple in his mouth and bit down, before swirling his tongue around it to take away the sting.  He moved his hand down my stomach towards my mound, as he laved at my other nipple.

 

‘So wet already princess,’ I felt him grin again my breast.

 

‘Always when I’m with you,’ I replied on a moan as his finger circled my clit slowly.

 

Pete kissed and licked his way down my body, all the while his finger was working my clit, driving my need higher and higher.  He removed his finger from my clit and replaced it with his mouth, and simultaneously pushed two fingers inside me and I came, hard and fast. 

 

‘There’s one,’ Pete said as my orgasm subsided.

 

He leaned over to his bedside table and I grabbed his arm.  ‘Trying for a baby remember, no condoms necessary.’

 

‘Oh I know.  I’m not going for condoms.’

 

‘What then?’

 

Pete smiled devilishly before retrieving what he wanted from his drawer.

 

‘These,’ he replied as he showed me the nipple clamps cradled in his palm.

 

‘Ohhh!  Those are new,’ I smiled at him.

 

‘My birthday present to myself.’

 

‘Happy birthday Mr. Wentz.’

 

‘Thank you Mrs. Wentz.’  I smiled like a kid on Christmas, I would never get over hearing that.  Mrs. Wentz. 

 

‘Now Mrs. Wentz, I’m going to put these clamps on your nipples and this one,’ he motioned to a third clamp I hadn’t taken notice of, ‘is going on that sweet clit of yours.  Fair warning, it vibrates.’ I nodded my head in eager anticipation. ‘I’m then going to tie your arms to the headboard and I want you to spread your legs wide for me.’

 

I immediately obeyed.  I loved when Pete took on the role of Dom, it was hot as hell and I always knew I was in for a damn good ride, and many,  _ many  _ orgasms.

 

Pete placed the clamps, and yup, they all vibrated.  The mix of pleasure and pain was intoxicating, I could feel my body preparing for release already and he had barely touched me.  My arms were secured above my and I held my legs open for him, letting him see the arousal that was pooling between my thighs.

 

He dipped his head and sucked on one of my nipples and I threw my head back, releasing a long moan.  His soft, warm tongue, mixed with the vibration and tightness of the clamp, was indescribable. I was soooo hoping he’d do the same to my clit.  He repeated his motions on my other nipple, before slowly making his way down my body. It felt like sweet torture. We both knew where he was going, but I wanted him there so much faster than he was going.  He finally reached my clit, but instead of licking it, like I so desperately wanted, he placed a chaste kiss to it, and moved to kiss down my leg, and back up the other one. He knew what he was doing with his sweet torture.  

 

‘Pete.  Please,’ I whined.

 

‘Please what?’

 

‘Please lick me.’

 

‘Where?’

 

‘Lick my pussy Pete!’

 

He rewarded me with a long lick from my pussy to my clit and back down again.  That was all it took for another orgasm to rock my body.

 

‘That’s two.’

 

Pete removed the clamps from my nipples and clit, knowing that much longer and the pain would start to overwhelm the pleasure.  He licked the sting away from both of my nipples before doing the same to my aching clit. Once again, he entered me with two fingers, pumping in and out in a slow rhythm, readying my body for his cock.  He increased his tempo and curled his fingers inside me, while swirling his tongue around my clit. I was once again overcome with an earth shattering orgasm. Never before had I come so hard, in such quick succession.  Usually, the second orgasm took longer, and the third even more so.

 

‘Three,’ he said as he lifted his mouth and removed his fingers from my body.  He crawled up body and kissed me hard on the lips, driving his tongue into my mouth.  I could taste my arousal on his tongue and moaned in approval. He slammed his cock into me with little warning and our mouths were ripped from each other as we both groaned at the sensation of our joining.  Pete set a hard and fast pace, ramming into me so deep, I felt him everywhere. He grasped my hips and moved to his knees, lifting my legs to wrap around his waist. This position allowed him to go even deeper and hit all the right spots at the same time.  He released my hands from the ties and lifted me by the shoulders so I was straddling him while he rested on his heels. He pounded up into me and I ground down against him, creating the perfect amount of friction. 

 

‘Come for me princess,’ he growled out as his speed increased again.  I flew off the cliff and was soaring amongst the clouds within seconds.  I distantly heard Pete following me down.  Once our bodies had stopped trembling from release, Pete lifted up onto his knees, whilst still inside me, turned and lay down, so that I was laying on his stomach.  He had yet to unsheath himself from my body, but I don’t think either of us were in a hurry for that to happen.

 

‘Four,' he said with a cheeky grin, 'I kinda hope we didn’t just make a baby,’ he added.  


 

I quickly lifted my upper body, shocked.  ‘You don’t want a baby?’

 

‘Of course I want a baby.  I also want to do that over and over and over again.  The longer it takes to make a baby, the more I get to do it,’ he replied with a smile.

 

‘Silly man.  Even if you did just knock me up, we’re going to fuck like rabbits until the day we’re too old and broken to do so.  A baby inside me isn’t going to stop that, not unless I’m medically advised to refrain from hot, rough sex.’

 

‘Is that so?’

 

‘Fuck yes.’

 

‘I love you, Mrs. Wentz.’

 

‘I love you too, Mr. Wentz.’

  
  


**The End.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It has been a wild ride my friends, but all good things must come to an end. I hope you've loved reading this as much as I've loved writing it. I threw in some last minute smut for all your horndogs lol! I hope you like the ending, I made it extra long to give it a good send off. As I've said, this is the end. For now at least. I might see you again soon. Love K! xoxo


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